


Humanity is a Learning Process

by Kukuriko



Series: Connor and You [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Androids, Angst, Awkwardness, Blood, Co-workers, Crime Scenes, Cus y'know, Eventual Smut, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hank is the best wingman, Hurt/Comfort, Investigations, Kamski is a shady bitch, Mild Gore, Mutual Pining, POV Second Person, Post-good ending, Reader-Insert, Relationship(s), Robot/Human Relationships, Romance, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Smut, Spoilers, Swearing, Violence, minor PTSD, police shenanigans, softcore wireplay, this happens after the main game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-05-24 02:00:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 81,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14945504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kukuriko/pseuds/Kukuriko
Summary: The androids have won their freedom and Connor no longer takes orders from Cyberlife. Free to do what he wants, he now stays as Hank's partner at the Detroit Police Department. Deviancy is still a fairly new concept to Connor, and after meeting you it seems he still has a long way to go about becoming more human.





	1. Chapter 1: First Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Cover Design** \- https://www.facebook.com/EllerreGraphicDesign/
> 
>  **Italian Translation** \- https://my.w.tt/0TnPJVhrpP  
>  **Chinese Translation** \- http://lanshess.lofter.com/post/1ee7aca9_12db1aacd

 

* * *

 

You joined the Detroit City Police Department after the androids succeeded their fight for freedom. They took you in happily – they needed as many hands as they could get to help with the aftermath after all. When you walked into the building on your first day it was chaotic. A flood of reports had come in and everyone was spread thin trying to sort things out. Nobody had time for you right now, so you had to stumble around trying to find your assigned desk yourself. You found a clear desk adjacent to a somewhat decorated (it was messy, who were you kidding) desk and sat down in front of the monitor.

You took the initiative to begin looking at some cases you could help with. It wasn’t a surprise to see most of these reports were from androids turning in their past owners for an array of abuses and assaults.

“Jesus fucking Christ, when can I get a fucking break!”

A man with scraggly grey hair and a worn old coat walked into the office. The other officers nearby immediately redirected their paths around him as he stormed towards your direction. In an amusing contrast, a proper looking android walked quietly behind him. You tensed up when he sits in the messy desk right in front of you. _Oh god, did you choose the table next to the office asshole?_ He seemed quite intimidating. Within moments of him catching his breath as he relaxed in his seat, the android beside him spoke.

“Lieutenant, there are ten more reports that were just assigned to you.”

“Fuckin- Connor! At least let me rest for a goddamn minute!”

“Sure.”

The android turns to look at you, the LED on his temple shifted yellow for a moment.

“Hello, you must be the new officer. My name is Connor, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Oh, hi. It’s nice to meet you too, I’m [Y/N],” you said nervously by the sudden interaction. You felt your cheeks slightly flush - like all the android you’ve seen he looked beautiful. There was something genuine about the way he looked at you too – it was comforting and nerve-wracking at the same time.

 _How can an android feel this human?_ It was bizarre. You haven’t interacted with many androids in your life – only the ones at restaurants and cashiers usually. But even they had something very mechanical about them.

“My apologises, but it seems that you’ve occupied my desk,” Connor said.

What? You stood up. You were sure nobody was using this desk, there was nothing on it. You leaned over to check the nameplate, and to your embarrassment ‘CONNOR’ was written clearly on it.

“I’m so sorry, I’ll find another desk right now- “you stammered as you began to scoop up your belongings.

“Don’t bother. I’m pretty sure all the other desks are taken too,” the scraggly man said. “We’ll be leaving again soon anyway.”

You sat back down and turned on the monitor hoping you could get started on work. The scraggly man and Connor began to quietly talk to each other about which report they wanted to check up on first. To your dismay however, you weren’t assigned any tasks. You frowned.

“Is something the matter, [Y/N]?” Connor asked you. The way he’s portraying concern on his face throws you off again. It’s so damn life-like. The whole deviant thing is no joke – the line between Connor being an android versus being a human kept blurring.

“I’m not assigned any work yet. It said that my reporting officer is… Lieutenant Hank Anderson. Do you know where he is?”

The scraggly man sighed, “He’s right here.”

Wait, him? Really?

Anderson reached up to his face to rub his eyes. “You’d think after how much I hated when I first started working with you, Connor, they’d stop assigning me more people.”

Connor’s lips turned into a small smirk. “Worked out in the end though, didn’t it? At least it’s not another android.”

Anderson let out another deep sigh.

 

\---

 

A few days in and you still didn't know why you were assigned to Anderson. So far, your work has been checking up on smaller incidents and filing reports. Anderson and Connor didn’t stay in the office for more than ten minutes before they’re off again.

But today was different. Connor arrived to the station without Anderson. You thought he was just checking up on some files like he usually does but instead he comes up to you.

"[Y/N], has Lieutenant Anderson assigned you any work to do?" he asked.

You sighed. "No. No, not really. I've just been going through some small stuff again today."

You started having doubts. What's the point of the DPD hiring you when all you're gonna do is sit around and wait? Connor turned his head in disappointment, kind of like a puppy dog - which is really strange way for an android to react. It's kind of adorable actually.

"Then there is an area I'd like you patrol. We got a report on a homicide and the suspect is nowhere to be found - unless you'd like to stay at your desk, of course," Connor said. "I have to go now. I've sent the address and some notes of the suspect to you."

Connor walked away before you could respond.

-

“Lieutenant, you’ve neglected to assign tasks to Officer [Y/N] again.”

“Ah, shit. Do you know where she is now?”

“She’s actually just a few blocks away from us,” Connor replied. "I gave her a task instead."

“Huh, you allowed to do that?”

Connor shrugged. “Probably not. She did look very bored though.”

Hank crouched down to inspect the dead android slumped against a wall. The blue blood has mostly evaporated away, leaving the bullet holes across its body strangely clean. The android was wearing human clothes and removed its LED – a deviant, obviously. Furthermore, the android owned the apartment he was murdered in, that was one of the new rights after the androids won their freedom. However, it seemed like his neighbour didn’t agree with that.

Connor reached down to touch the drying blue blood with his fingers and brought it to his tongue. Hank shook his head but said nothing. The action didn’t disgust him as much anymore. Connor identified the android’s model and the estimate time the blood had been exposed to the air. The android died approximately an hour ago.

“What’s your opinion on the new guy by the way?” Hank asked as he looked at the cracked wood of the bedroom door. There were two bullet holes piercing the door.

“Officer [Y/N]? Judging by her test results and general demeanour, she seems like a capable officer and a great asset to the DPD.”

“Huh. That so?” Hank commented.

Connor noticed that Hank had been asking more about his opinion after he turned deviant. Perhaps that was Hank’s way of helping Connor getting used to his instincts instead of viewing things in a fully analytical way. His own opinion was a strange concept to Connor after all.

Connor analysed the bullets in the android’s body and found out which type of gun was used by the murderer. So far, the gun hadn’t been found yet. He stood up and reconstructed the crime scene.

“The killer didn’t break into the house. It seemed that the victim invited him in. But when the killer began to grow violent, the victim tried to escape to the bedroom.” Connor gestured to the bedroom door. “As the victim was holding the door shut, the killer pulled out a gun and shot them through the door. The victim collapsed and then the killer shot them one more time in the head.”

Connor walked towards a chair that had fallen over. There was a small amount of blood on it. “Judging by the angle on how this chair fell, he tripped over it as he fled. Based on the height of the suspect, there might be a minor injury on his right leg.”

Connor looked up when another officer entered the room

“It looks like the killer forgot his wallet and car keys – they’re in his home,” they said.

“I guess he’s on foot then,” Hank said. “Connor. Give the new guy a call, tell em what you found out.”

Connor nodded and placed his fingers on his temple.

-

The suspect was the android’s neighbour and you memorised the photo of his face. You arrived at a quiet suburban area in your casual clothes. Being the only officer in the area you wanted to stay anonymous – the suspect could easily spot your uniform in such a sparsely populated area. You started asking around shops and checking CCTV footage. It looks like nobody has spotted him yet. Your phone started ringing in your pocket and you answer it.

“Hello, [Y/N]. It’s me, Connor.”

“Oh, Connor,” you replied. This was the first time he’s called you, so you were a little bit surprised. “What it is?”

“You’re patrolling in an area where the killer could be hiding. We discovered he right leg was injured and forgot his wallet when he fled. Also, I must advise caution. He might have a gun on his person.”

You tensed at the news. A killer on a loose was scary enough, but one with a gun still on him made you much more nervous.

“Are you alright?” Connor asked.

“Yes. I’ll keep my eye out for them,” you said as you tried to calm yourself down. “Thanks, Connor.”

“No problem.”

You hung up the call. Where would an injured man with no money who just killed an android go? Detroit has made public transport free a few years ago to decrease the number of cars on the road. You’re still required to carry your transport card around however. He was probably denied from boarding anything. You quickly made your way to the nearest train station.

Once you arrived, you spoke with a few of the train guards and learnt nothing. _He hasn’t tried to board public transport yet._

It was getting late and there were less people on the streets. It was about time you reported back to the station. You walked down the steps of the train station towards where you parked your car.

“Hey.”

An unfamiliar voice called out from behind you. Right when you turned to look you feel something hard press against your back. You froze.

“Your transport card. Give it to me.”

“O-Of course,” you said. You reached down into your pocket to grab your wallet. You also kept your work phone in the same pocket and pressed the emergency button four times.

-

Connor and Hank had returned to the car to move scout another location for the killer when Connor jolted in his seat. The LED on his temple turned red.

“[Y/N] just sent a distress signal. She’s by the train station two minutes away.”

Hank immediately turned the steering wheel, his car sharply turned into the next street.

-

“Come on, hurry up,” the man said, nudging the gun harshly into your side.

“I know,” you said fearfully, but it was half an act. You were really hoping Anderson and Connor were nearby to help. You made your hands tremble as you fumbled with your wallet, buying as much time as you could. But the act had gone on for long enough, and you held up your transport card.

The man immediately snatched it from you.

“Don’t fucking tell anyone what happened.”

You heard him begin to walk away, and you slowly turned to look. Your suspicions were right. It was the killer. He walked quickly towards the light of the train station, his right leg limping slightly. You reached for your phone, but your hands won’t stop shaking.

_Your car. Just get somewhere safe first._

You took one step and your legs stop working, making you fall to the ground. Your emotions finally caught up to you. You were terrified. You could’ve _died_ right then.

“[Y/N]!”

You didn’t register your name being called out at first. But you forced yourself to look up in your state to see Connor running towards you, Anderson following right behind him.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his hands were on your shoulder – keeping you steady.

“The killer,” your voice trembled. “He stole my transport card. You can track him. His gun is still on him.”

Connor nodded. He closed his eyes his LED blinked yellow.

“I’ve notified the DPD and transport services. He won’t get away.”

You nodded. Connor helped pull you up from the ground, your legs still felt weak but at least you could stand now. You looked into his eyes to thank him, but you hesitated when his LED was bright red. _What's that supposed to mean?_  Connor kept a close eye at you, staring at every part of your body.

Then you remembered it was an android. You gently pushed him away.

"And I'm fine. He didn't injure me. Thank you, Connor," you said. He was probably analysing you.

Connor stopped and nodded. He still looked worried though.

“Good work. Now head home,” Anderson said. “Going through this shit in your first week is rough. Make sure you rest up.”

“Yes, sir,” you replied. You assumed Lieutenant Anderson would be a pain in the ass to work with because of his personality, but that was considerate of him.

“Connor let’s go.”

 Anderson and Connor ran back to their car and drove off, while you stumble your way to your car exhausted by today's events.

-

Connor had analysed your pulse and your expression. He concluded from your inexperience and the situation that you were traumatised. Hank did the right thing to send you home. The killer would’ve boarded a train by now and they were making their way to the next train station as quickly as possible. Connor wanted to stay with you a little longer though. He didn’t want you to develop any mental complications from the trauma you experienced today. Unfortunately, the killer was of higher priority.

He felt like that reasoning wasn't sufficient though. When Connor assigned you to take that patrol you were his responsibility. _Learn to identify your emotions, you're a deviant now,_ he thought to himself. Hank glanced over.

"Connor, your LED is still red. What's wrong?"

"I'm... just concerned about [Y/N]'s well being. She looked shaken by the events that happened to her. And I'm... angry."

"Angry? That's kinda new."

Connor shook his head, "I just- I wasn't authorised to assign her that patrol. It's my fault she was in danger today. But she looked so lost this morning, I-"

"Enough, Connor. I get you, and you can't change the past," Hank sighed. "So you're worried, huh? Well, we don't have time for her right now, but I'm sure she'll be fine."

Connor leaned back and relaxed in his car seat. That's right, you're capable - you should be fine. "Of course," Connor said, his LED shifting back to blue.

Hank paused. "That shouldn't stop you for checking on her once we catch the killer."

"But didn't you said she was going to be fine?" Connor asked.

"Yeah, well, it's still a nice gesture to check on someone once in a while. You know, human stuff. It lets them know you care about them."

"Oh. I see."

He created a task to be done once the killer had been arrested.

 

\---

 

You returned to work the next day to write up the report. Anderson and Connor weren’t there as usual, and you went to sit down at your desk. Your transport card and a note were on the table. You grabbed the note and read it.

_[Y/N],_

_Thank you for the bravery you displayed yesterday. The killer was caught last night at 11:23pm and I have returned your transport card. If you need to talk, I am ~~equipped with psychological research to aid in your~~ happy to make time for you. Just let me know._

_Connor_


	2. Chapter 2: Small Talk

You’ve worked at the Detroit Police for a month now. The sudden influx of cases has calmed down. Lieutenant Anderson and Connor are at the office more often compared to when you first started. You felt that you had to return Connor’s desk, but he didn’t mind. All he needed was an interface to access the main database, so he set up a small desk between yours and Anderson’s desk.

The three of you were usually busy, but today was quite a slow day. You were finishing up your last report for the day when you sense Connor shuffling in his seat.

“Do you have any hobbies, [Y/N]?” Connor asked.

“A… few?” you answered. The question was so out of the blue you weren’t sure how to respond.

“That’s good. Hobbies are an important part in maintaining a healthy lifestyle,” he said. Anderson choked on his coffee.

“Right… Thanks?”

You were so confused. When Anderson finished coughing he placed a hand on Connor’s shoulder.

“Alright, Connor. You gotta learn small talk properly. That was as bad as the time you tried to learn about me,” Anderson looked to you. “How about you ask Connor something?”

“Sure,” you said. You had nothing better to do anyway, might as well teach an android how to make better conversation. “Connor, do you have any hobbies?”

His LED flashed yellow. “Yes. During times when there is no work for me I download studies and reports that aid in future investigations.”

“That’s pretty interesting. Do you do anything else?” You can already sense the imminent dead end to this conversation and you’re sure Anderson can sense it too.

His LED flashed yellow again, this time with hints of red to it. Connor must really be thinking.

“I… perform repairs on myself once in a while and…”

“Sumo, Connor,” Anderson cut in. “You like to visit and take care of my dog once in a while.”

“Oh, that’s true. Does that count as a hobby?” Connor asked, his LED turning back to blue. Anderson shrugged.

“That’s cute,” you said. It was interesting to know that an android has a soft spot for dogs. “Do you like any other animals, Connor?”

“I… haven’t met many other animals. I’ve seen birds outside and such, but I don’t have a concrete reason why I would like or dislike their presence.”

“Right.” That didn’t seem like the right question. “Do you know why you like dogs then?”

“Why I like dogs?” Connor mumbled out loud. He was silent for a bit, his brows slightly furrowing in deep thought. “Because… they’re happy all the time? And they’re usually friendly to me.”

“This is where- “Anderson cut in. “-you continue the conversation by asking a question back. A friendly back and forth until one of you have something better to do.”

“Oh, of course,” Connor turned to you again. “[Y/N], a popular topic is that people speculate the meaning of life. Do you have any theories?”

Anderson sat back in his chair with a long sigh, his hand rubbing his temples.

“That’s not what I- Ahh fuck it.”

You shrugged. “He was close enough.”

Connor smiled, seemingly pleased at himself, and you felt your cheeks flush again. You calmed yourself down immediately before Connor catches on to your increased heartbeat. _He’s an android. They built him to look that attractive for fucks sake._ The three of you went back to your slow day’s work.

 

\---

 

Ever since the incident of being held at gunpoint, you’d been practicing disarming techniques. You’re going to be sure that something like that wasn’t going to happen again. The police gym was empty save for Chris, most were out for Friday night drinks. And Chris was kind enough to spar with you.

Chris held the fake gun holstered in his belt and stood in front of you. The moment he drew it you jumped, jabbing him in the chest. The moment he began to stumble you reached for his wrist and knocked the gun out of his hand. With Chris fully off balance you tripped him and pinned him to the floor.

“Ow, ahh fuck! C’mon, man, go easy on me! I need my hands to take care of my kid.”

You rolled off him and helped him up, “Sorry. You alright?”

“Yeah, yeah. I think I’m done for today, though. It’s getting kinda late and I’m pretty damn sore. I’ll see you next spar,” Chris said, giving you a friendly pat on the back as he made his way to the showers.

You weren’t done though, so you made your way to one of the sparring dummies. A static target didn’t feel fulfilling though, but you still punched away.

“There you are, [Y/N].”

You looked up and saw Connor entered the gym.

“Hello, Connor. How are you?” you asked, grabbing you towel and wiping the sweat on your face.

“I’m good.”

You smirked. “That’s a very automated response. How are you _really?”_

“Last time I checked my systems are functional and my have no need for repair. I can run another diagnosis if- “

“I was just teasing, Connor,” you said.  “No need for that. So why were you looking for me?”

“I wish to practice more ‘small talk’. It seems the concept is still quite foreign to me. But I did not mean to interrupt your workout.”

An idea appeared in your head.

“Connor, do you know how to fight?”

“Yes. I have been equipped with knowledge to defend myself if I am threatened.”

“Then could you spar with me for a little bit? I’m not quite done with training,” you asked. You were hoping he would say yes, you’ve never fought an android – or rather a deviant detective before. Perhaps he could provide more of a challenge than poor Chris.

“Of course. Is there anything in particular you would like to practice?”

“Disarming your opponent,” you replied as you gestured towards the fake gun and holster on the bench. Connor nodded and made his way to the equipment. You watched him take off his jacket and fold it neatly, before pulling off his tie and placing it on top. He strapped on the holster and slotted in the fake gun.

He entered the sparring section with you and your breath caught in your throat. The top buttons of his shirt were undone, exposing a small part of his chest. You shook off the thought in your head, now’s not the time.

“Ready?” Connor asked. You nodded. And he drew the gun.

You sprang forward, going for a tackle. You tried to go under his arms and pull him down but he was faster. He twisted his body and shoved your grip aside with his arm. You fell to the side. Connor still held the gun in his hand. You pushed up from the ground.

"Again," you said.

-

Connor complied. He holstered the gun and waited for you to return to position. You were fast, but unfortunately predictable. Once the two of you were ready Connor drew the gun again. You tried to swat the gun away from his hand. Connor brought in his free hand to grab your incoming arm. He twisted it to the side, making you yelp as he brings his leg down to sweep your leg aside. He held the fake gun to your head as you're kneeling on the ground unable to break out of his grip. However, you didn't look frustrated at all. Instead your expression was half in pain and half in thought. Connor softened his grip, encouraging you to stand up and return to the position before you were knocked down. You wanted to get better and Connor was going to help.

The two of you didn't need words, a small nod and Connor resumed - his leg coming in to sweep you down again. This time you were ready and reached out for his shoulder, shoving him aside. Connor's stumble gave you enough time to stand and go in for a punch, but this time you were too brash. Connor flicked the fake gun that he still held on to and you knew you were too slow. You turned around and knelt back into the previous position, and then when the two of you resumed action you went for the gun this time. With all your might you backhanded the gun away from his wrist. Connor's grip slipped, and with his arm forced away you tackle him to the ground.

You were lying on top of him panting heavily. Your head suddenly shot up from his chest.

"How was that?" you said with a massive grin. Connor examined the joy you displayed across your face - the way your eyes lifted, the corners of your lips. Connor felt... something, but he didn't know how to describe it. Then your joy faded into curiousity. You sucked in a breath, your pupils slightly dilating and your cheeks started to heat up. Connor analysed it as fascination - awe maybe, he wasn't sure.

"Connor?" you asked, but he didn't pay attention. Connor observed the way you expressed yourself, not moving as he's lost in your eyes.

"Alright, I'll see yo- Hey hey HEY! What are you-?"

Chris exited the showers and was ready to leave, stopping at the unexpected officer on android action.

"We're fine," you called out. You gently rolled off of Connor and stood up. "We're just sparring." You reached down to help him stand up too.

Chris raised an eyebrow. "Alright... No funny deviant business okay?"

Connor nodded, and Chris left the gym. Once the doors closed behind him you began to laugh. Connor turned his head to look at you, confused at your outburst.

"That was awkward," you laughed, "Good thing Chris isn't one to gossip."

"Gossip about what?" Connor asked.

"Oh... nevermind then. So, small talk?"

 

\---

 

"Hank?"

"Yeah?"

"What is awkward about Officer [Y/N] pinning me to the ground?"

"WHA-" Hank coughed up a part of his lunch. The two of them were at Chicken Feed again, Hank's favourite burger place. Hank took a sip from his soda to help with his choking.

"Where the fuck did you get that question from, Connor? Jesus Christ..."

"Officer [Y/N] and I were sparring in the gym. She wanted to practice her disarming techniques. One of the spars ended up with her pinning me to the ground, which she called 'awkward' later on."

Hank began to think deeply, his brows furrowed and his expression in disbelief.

"How the hell was she pinning you exactly? Nothing... suggestive?"

"Suggestive? No. Although I..." Connor trailed off. "I studied her expression for longer period of time than I usually would. I was trying to figure out what she was feeling."

Hank shook his head. "Connor, you're a deviant aren't you? Can't you understand... context?"

"Context? In that situation I was the enemy and she needed to disarm me. She was successful and was happy with the result. Why would she show signs of fascination though?"

"Alright, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that last bit," Hank coughed awkwardly, rubbing his temples. "Jesus. I haven't met many deviants but you're probably the most clueless deviant I know."

Connor went silent. Perhaps he was responsible for this 'awkwardness', he did take longer than usual to analyse your emotions. But for your emotions to shift so quickly he wasn't sure why. Connor made a note to ask you about it once you were available.

 

\---

 

It was early morning and you walked in with your cup of coffee. Anderson won't be here for a while but Connor was already seated by his desk. You placed your cup of coffee down and smiled.

"Morning, Connor."

He looked up from his monitor, his LED turning blue.

"Oh? Good morning, [Y/N]. There was something I wanted to ask you."

"Sure," you said as you sat down in your chair, "What is it?"

"Why did you show signs of fascination when you pinned me to the ground last night?"

You reached up to hide your cheeks which heat up almost immediately. You looked around the office, and fortunately not many people were paying attention. "Connor," you whispered. "If this is your idea of small talk you've gone way too far. That's quite suggestive."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"But do you know _why_ it is suggestive?" you asked. _What the hell are you doing?_ you thought to yourself. _Now you're gonna teach an android about awkward positions?_

"I..." Connor's LED shifted yellow, even a bit of red blinked through. "No. No, I don't."

You sighed and closed your eyes. _Here we go._

"When you... didn't react after I pinned you - you know, when you just stayed lying there. Well... the extended period of time we were in that position implied-" your blush deepened as you tried to think of a word. "-affection. And that affection can lead to something that should be mentioned discreetly. Do you understand?"

-

Affection? Connor wasn't too familiar about that subject. His LED flashed yellow as he began searching for definitions around the word affection. Why do people show affection? What does affection lead to? Connor blinked when his search somehow ended up intercourse, and then he understood. Is the reason why you were so embarrassed and fascinated was because you were considering having sex with him? Connor frowned, he's never thought about anything like that. For the longest time he was programmed to work for the DPD, everything else wasn't beneficial to the cases he had to solve. But Connor was different now, he was a deviant and his life no longer revolved around his old orders - he had the freedom to do what he pleased, but-

"Connor, are you blushing?"

What? He ran a quick diagnosis on himself. The thirium being pumped though his system was... accelerated. He body temperature was also higher than normal. But there were no faults with any of his biocomponents. You looked amused, a massive grin was stretched across your face as you tried to get a better look at Connor.

"So androids- or deviants rather do feel embarrassed. Look! You even blush blue, I didn't know that."

"Me neither, what happened here?"

The two of you turn to see Hank has just entered the office, cup of coffee in hand.

You shrugged, doing a much better job than Connor hiding the after effects of the awkward conversation. "More small talk, I guess."

"Right..." Hank said, though he still stared suspiciously at the two of you.

_This just in!_

The three of you looked at one of the nearby TVs on the wall.

_Kamski has returned as the head of Cyberlife. He claims to be in support of the android-deviant freedom and says to be working towards software updates to assist with the android-deviant integration to society._

"Well look at that," Hank exclaimed. "Kamski was kind of a prick when we met him, but good for you huh?" he said as he pat Connor on the back.

"Right..." Connor replied. He didn't know what to think about the news. What kind of things was Kamski going to do for the deviants? But first he had to worry about normalising the thirium being pumped through his system.


	3. Chapter 3: Kamski's Patch Notes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys thanks for 100 kudos :)

"There's a small anti-android gathering downtown. I want the three of you to work together and undermine their whole operation."

Captain Fowler sat by his desk while you, Connor, and Anderson stood quietly and listened to his instructions. You tensed. After the deviants won their freedom through their peaceful protests there were still people out there that still want androids to return to slavery. There was no doubt the new laws and way of living was going to take a _long_ time to iron out, but it was still disappointing to hear that people aren't receptive to such a liberating event. Fowler reached over to his monitor and touched the screen. Images of people's faces flashed up on a nearby screen.

"These people are our targets. They've been sending death threats and harassing any android they come across. Their numbers seem to be increasing though, so get to their hideout and arrest them ASAP. Oh, and I don't think Connor will be a viable infiltrator for this mission- no hard feelings. Which leaves Hank or-"

"No fuckin- way. I'm too old for this," Hank said as he crossed his arms.

Fowler sighed and turned to you. "Are you up for this, [Y/N]? It won't be anything too risky. Just get in, collect evidence of them doing illegal business, and get out."

You hesitated. You've never done an undercover mission before. You're not sure if you could blend into that kind of environment either. You looked to Connor. You couldn't imagine hurting an android.

"I could remove my LED if you're not comfortable with going undercover."

He was serious. Many androids have removed their LED's too, but you don't know what the LED means to an android. He still had it on him after all.

"No, you don't have to do that. I can do it," you say to him. "Just give me some time to do some research."

Fowler nodded and turned to Connor. "I'd also rather you didn't get damaged. Things are still tricky with Cyberlife by trying to keep you here."

"Of course," Connor said. Now that you thought about it, Connor was created and sent by Cyberlife to resolve the deviant issue. Now that androids were free and he's a deviant, did Cyberlife still hold ownership over him? That shouldn't be. With the new android laws Connor was in control of himself.

The three of you exited Fowler's glass office. You briefly looked at Connor. His LED was bright red and his face was twisted with uncertainty.

-

Connor didn't want you to go. This was your first undercover mission. He knew that you're a capable person, but the whole assignment was making him feel... anxious. He immediately complied everything from psychological studies to reports on successful undercover missions for you to read. He also generated practice scenarios for you. Once he was done, he sent it all to your computer. You flinched at the sudden flood of resources.

"Oh wow, really going the extra mile for me aren't you, Connor?" you said as you stared at your monitor.

"As a part of your team, ensuring the highest possibility for your success is my duty. Have you thought of what identity you'll adopt?"

You tilted you head, "I'm not quite sure yet. What do you think would be the best approach, Connor?"

Connor scanned your face. You were too well kept to be unemployed so pretending to be mad that androids took your job wouldn't work. Perhaps you could be spoiled? Your android slave walking out on you after you paid so much for it and you want them back - but no. Connor knew you wouldn't be able to keep that up for long periods of time, it might be too hard of a persona to keep up without overdoing it. You also looked too gentle - not the type of person to seek out violence for the sake of the thrill of being dominating.

"How about," Connor said, frowning deeply as he ran the scenario in his head a few times, "you were about to be married to your fiancé, but they cheated on you with an android and eventually left you to be with it."

"Oh, that's rough," you laughed. "Do you really think I can keep that facade up?"

Connor could only hope so.

"If you mess up we'll be nearby to pull you out," Hank said. "But you never know unless you try. Hey, you might be a natural."

"Ah yes, that angsty entitled mindset. Maybe I should start convincing myself that I'm the best and yell at retail workers who were _obviously_ in the wrong," you said dramatically, your hand to your chest as you gasped.

"I'd say it should be more in the line of 'I'm apparently less desired than what essentially is a sex toy and my insecurities are getting the better of me'," Hank said. You laughed as you shook your head. Your smile caught Connor off guard again. _What is the emotion he’s feeling?_

"I'll think it over, I got time," you shrugged.

Connor flinched when he saw a message appear in his mind. Connor lurched, he felt scared. _Was it Amanda? Was she back to take him back to Cyberlife?_ But no, he shook himself out of it. Amanda was gone, he was sure he forced her out.

"Connor, are you okay?" Hank said, reaching out to hold him steady. You were out of your seat and ready to catch him too. Connor nodded weakly.

"Yes, it's just a message that caught me off guard. That's all," Connor said, straightening out his jacket. Connor read through the message, "It seems to be... a rework on some of an android's senses. 'Reworked Temperature Detection', 'Reworked Smell/Taste Detection', "Reworked Nerve Feedback"... It seems like things that makes androids feel more human, but it also says 'Warning: Install in a safe environment.'"

"Are you going to install it, then? Kamski's probably the one responsible for it, but I dunno," Hank said.

Connor shrugged, "There seems to be options that allow me to adjust the new features once I've downloaded it. I feel like I shouldn't install this update though. It might hinder my advantages of being an android."

"Like?" you asked.

"Like not being able to feel pain. Pain is packaged in the whole 'Reworked Nerve Feedback' - I might have to disable that feature entirely."

"Well it's your choice Connor, although I don't see any downside to it if you can just switch them off after you download them," you said.

"I suppose I agree," Connor said. He looked to Hank, "If this update ends up ruining my system, give Kamski a visit for me," Connor joked. He closed his eyes and downloaded the update.

When the update finished it hit him like a truck, making him fall out of his chair. The new features were all at 50%, but even that overwhelmed Connor. The smells, the sounds, the small chill in the air, even the way his clothes felt against his artificial skin and the pain from his fall felt too much. Connor was used to feeling nothing, no pain when people shot him or punched him - but now he felt _everything._

"Connor!" you said as you reached down for him. You gently picked him up from the ground and that made him jolt from the sensation. He felt the heat from your body, the softness of your skin pressing into him as you held him. The smell of you was no longer a list of chemicals and their ratios, he didn't have the mind to describe it. You reached up to cradle his head and you thumb rubbing over his cheek sent shocks down his spine. He felt your accelerated heartbeat, a rhythm that reverberated through his senses. It was too much, he forced all the new features to be at 1% and gasped in the relief.

"I'm fine," Connor wheezed. "I'm fine..."

You helped Connor sit up from the ground. Hank waved away some of the officers who wanted to see what the commotion was.

"I've set the new features at 1% for now. I think I'll gradually increase the percentage, so it won't overload me," Connor said.

Hank sighed, "Still want me to make that house call?"

Connor shook his head.

 

\---

 

You sat on one of the motel beds, nervously twisting the fabric of your jacket. Connor and Anderson were in the same room setting up equipment. Even though it’s a small anti-android gathering there’s a chance they’ll check you for bugs, so they won’t be able to listen to you. The best you could do is try to stick a listening device on the wall or discard it if you need to. You’ve memorised your identity, your personality, your motivations – everything you needed for this small undercover job, but you still felt nervous. Anderson came up to you.

“You’re gonna be fine, kid. We’ll be here,” he said reassuringly. You responded with a weak smile.

You glanced over at Connor who seems to be playing with his coin again. He looked just as nervous as you. Anderson frowned.

“I’ll go… check something outside,” he said as he made his way to the door. Once the door closed behind him Connor put the coin away and stood up.

“My life has been pretty eventful, thanks to you two,” you chuckled. “I just hope I don’t fuck this up.”

-

Connor sat with you on the bed and placed a hand on your shoulder to calm you.

“Your chances of success are quite high based on your preparation. I know you’ll be fine,” he said.

“I just,” you hesitated. “I’m fine with that part, it’s just I’m worried about what the two of you will think of me after this.”

“What do you mean? Hank and I know it’s just an act.”

“But still,” you sighed. “I might say a lot of things – a lot of hateful things about androids to earn their trust. You’re a deviant, aren’t you, Connor? I know you have feelings. I just don’t want to… hurt them, you know?”

You looked him in the eyes. “I respect you, Connor. I believe you’re alive. And anything I say tonight goes against everything I believe in. Okay?”

Connor smiled, “Okay.”

Reassuring you helped Connor calm down a bit too. Or rather, it made him feel better about himself. It was nice to hear such a genuine statement from you, it made him feel cared for. He looked over to his hand that was still on your shoulder and he was curious _._ Connor inhaled, and turned his nerve feedback to 20%. He sensed it again, muted but still there. Under your layer of clothes, he felt the warmth of your body and the pulse of your heart. It almost overwhelmed him, but you felt… comforting. The rhythm soothed him, just like how you cradled him that other time.

Hank came back into the room and Connor pulled his hand back, turning the nerve feedback back to 1%.

“It’s about time, you ready?” Hank said.

You nodded.

 

\---

 

You knocked on the door, and without waiting for a response you entered. You closed the door behind you, planting the listening device at the back of the door handle. The place was dark and rundown. There were water stains on the wall, no wonder why this place smells like a bad mix of alcohol and mildew. A few people eyed you suspiciously and one of them approached you.

“Is this the anti-android meeting?” you said bluntly. The bulky man didn’t react and stalked closer towards you.

“And what’s that supposed to mean to you?” the bulky man spat. You recognised him as one of the targets. You frowned.

“I’m here to join,” you said. “Machines earning their freedom? What a fucking joke.”

The man eyed you up and down, trying to figure you out. He didn’t look convinced.

“Sorry lady, but we don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Hey, no need to turn her down so quickly.”

Another man, slightly shorter, short oily brown hair – another target, came up to you too. He placed an arm around your waist and tried not to cringe at his breath.

“Come, join us – we need all the help we can get to show the government they fucked up. But first…”

He forced you to sit on one of the stools, a light bulb gently swung above you.

“Who sent you?”

“No one. I found you myself.”

“Bullshit,” the bulky man coughed.

“You think I found you just to waste my god damn time?” you accused.

The sleezy man shrugged. “Maybe we’re just getting too ahead of ourselves. There’s no way she could be a cop. We never used to do this and nothing's happened so far. Besides, the more the merrier, and more we can spread the haul out." The man looked visibly excited about something. "Good timing too. Just don’t pussy out.”

The bulky man nodded reluctantly.

 _The haul? Did they steal something?_ If you could get them to say they stole whatever they stole, that should be enough evidence to arrest them and be done with it. The men stood up and led you to the back. You just hope the device could pick up what you’re saying from back there.

The next room had about another twenty people or so crowded around boxes. A few of them pull out… pistols, grenades – you gasped.

“Holy shit,” you exclaimed, faking excitement on your face. You did well to hide your fear – how the hell did they get all these weapons. "Where did you get these guns?"

The sleezy man shrugged jokingly and pulled out a grenade from a crate. He stood on top of a stool and waved the grenade triumphantly in the air.

“Tonight!” he announced, the people in the room looking up at him. “With generosity from our anonymous friend, we have what we need to scare the fucking machines back to where they belong.”

He pointed flimsily in a direction. “There’s a house with androids living together. But they don’t deserve a house. They’re like rats, and we’re doing the world a favour by taking care of em. And we’re gonna smoke em out with these.”

Some people hummed in approval. You did the same.

“And the best thing?” he said as he chuckled. “We’re gonna do it tonight.”

The people cheered, and you did too despite your growing fears.

-

Connor and Hank looked at each other. They had to get you out now.


	4. Chapter 4: Smoke and Flames

Hank and Connor didn't expect that a small anti-android gathering was going to resort to this level of terrorism. Connor immediately notified the DPD to be on standby when things start to escalate. He watched you from one of the monitors that was set up. You were making your way to one of the cars with several other strangers. Many of them began to put on masks.

All Connor could do right now was wait. If he went after you now he’ll put you in more danger than ever. Connor sat by the window, staring at you through the gap in the curtains. His processors began to overheat as he went through as many tactics as possible. His fists were clenched tight, and if it weren’t for the 1% nerve feedback he wouldn’t have noticed that he scratched a part of his artificial skin off.

-

You sat in the car. Every person on their way to the android home had a gun and a grenade on them. You recalled the crates the weapons were in. Any sort of identifying label was burned off. _If the supplier was so careful of being found why the hell did they give weapons to such an extreme group?_ Everyone was given masks and you slipped yours on to hide any doubt in your face. You had to wait for the right time to strike – several android’s lives are at stake.

The car stopped by a relatively nice large house. It was late at night and the lights inside were off. Before you even fully exited the car, the first grenade was thrown. A large blast lit up on the front yard – a warning. The sleezy man turned on a megaphone.

“You have one minute to get out of the fucking house,” he shouted into it, his voice piercing through the night. “Well?”

No movement. None of the lights turned on although you did catch very small shifting in one of the curtains. The anti-android crowd waited impatiently, yelling at the house and taunting them. You felt yourself begin to sweat. Thirty seconds had passed, and still no movement. The people were too restless and uncontrollable – some of them started throwing rocks. The bulky man sighed and signalled for the group to throw prematurely, and nobody objected.

You stopped breathing when the house erupted in smoke and flames.

-

Connor jolted when he saw the flashes of light in the distance. He placed his finger to his temple and called for backup. Hank and Connor were the first to arrive and it was too risky to get in close. But that didn’t stop Connor. The moment Hank parked the car, Connor jumped out and ran towards the scene.

-

After the grenades were thrown the group stepped up to the house and started pulling androids out. They resisted with kicking and screaming, blue blood smeared across their bodies. You immediately ran towards the back of the house – maybe you can help some of them escape. When you turned the corner you halted in your tracks as a familiar figure stood in your way.

“Great timing, newbie,” the sleezy man called out. He was holding a gun to one of the android’s head. It was on its knees sobbing. “Caught one for you. Let’s call this… an initiation.”

He gestured for you to approach and you walked up to him. He forcefully pulled you toward him when you close enough, shoving the gun into your hands and helping you aim at their head.

“Show them what happens when you defy your masters,” he taunted. The android sobbed more.

“Please! Don’t!” it cried. A side of it’s body was burnt, clothes and artificial skin flaking off.

It wasn’t a hard choice. You glanced around, everyone was too occupied with the other androids that they didn’t notice you turn around and punch one of their leaders in the chest. You didn’t give him a chance to call for help when you brought his head to your knee and knocked him out. You extended a hand to the android.

“I’m here to help. Quick!”

It reluctantly grabbed your hand and you yanked it up. You led it towards the neighbouring fence and helped push them over. You spun around, and pain spread across your stomach.

“You fucking bitch!”

The sleezy man, his nose bloody, went for another punch but you blocked it this time. His leg came up to kick you, but you deflected it away forcefully. He stumbled slightly, giving you a chance to wrap around him and pull your arm against his throat. He began to choke, clawing painfully at your arm and drawing blood. You squeezed as hard as you can, holding on to him as his legs kicked wildly in the air. You didn’t let him go until he stopped moving completely, his body going limp in your grasp.

You stood up, arm bleeding and stomach bruised, and ran into the burning house.

It was hot and stuffy inside, smoke burning your eyes and obscuring your vision. You heard a scream and glanced into the kitchen where two of the masked anarchists were assaulting an android. One of them was holding it up by its neck and trying to drag it out of the house. The other was holding a gun and waving it cockily in the air like a cheap toy. You didn’t hesitate to step in. You whacked the gun out of the anarchist’s hand. The one holding onto the android softened their grip in surprise and the android fought back, bashing the back of it’s head into their face. You knocked your opponent out with a swift kick to the head and began to pull them out of the burning house. The android followed you outside, helping you drag the other unconscious body.

“How many more are inside?” you asked the android.

“I- I don’t know,” the android wept. “Two, maybe three more?”

You nodded and helped the android escape over the fence.

-

Connor arrived at the burning house. Some of the anarchists that were by the front of the house saw him approach and began to flee. He let them run, there were more important things than them. Connor stepped up to the front door just as three of the anarchists pulled out an android. One of it’s legs was badly damaged, and it couldn’t do anything to fight against the humans. Connor preconstructed how the fight would play out and immediately executed it.

When one of the anarchists pulled a gun on him, Connor was faster and shot them. The pain made them fall and Connor finished them off by smashing their head against the ground. The two others went for Connor, the android slipping from their grasp and fleeing to safety. Connor dodged the first two punches and then grabbed the attacker’s arm. He twisted the arm and forced them on the ground, knocking them out with a punch to the back of their head. One more. The last one began to panic, obviously not a fighter. But Connor didn’t stop stalking towards them. He didn’t need to execute the last part of his preconstruction as they fled in terror.

“Don’t fucking move!”

Connor looked towards the voice and saw one of the targets point a gun to his head. He slowly placed his arms in the air.

“Huh, another android,” the man spat. He shook his head, “Well, looks like it’s another one to the trash heap.”

Connor tensed. The man was about to shoot, and Connor wasn’t in range to stop the bullet.

He was scared. Connor knew he was alive – felt he was alive. It wasn’t like the time he was a part of Cyberlife’s plans – not just a machine that could be replaced. Connor tried to duck to the side – at least try to make the bullet non-lethal, but when he moved he saw a familiar figure behind the man.

A gunshot cut through the sound of burning chaos. The target was suspended in the air for a moment, his eyes wide with shock as blood began to trickle down his forehead. The target slumped to the ground, dead, with you standing behind him. A line of smoke trailed from your weapon.

-

You killed him.

When you saw him about to shoot Connor you knew you had to save him. But when you saw the way he fell to the ground, motionless and blood beginning to pool, you dropped to the ground too. Your gun clattered to the side, and you felt the weight of your actions begin to crush you.

Flashing red and blue lights arrived at the scene. Backup had arrived. Firefighters and ambulances arrived soon after.

“[Y/N] …” Connor said. He gently approached you and scoped you up into his arms. You were dead weight, frozen by the events that unfolded. Anderson came up to the two of you and backed away when he saw the state you were in.

Connor carried you away from the scene and sat you down on the curb. Tears had already started sliding down your cheeks. He knelt in front of you and took off his jacket, wrapping it around your shoulders.

“You saved me,” Connor whispered, his hand rubbing gently across yours, but you could barely feel it. Everything was numb. You couldn’t speak. Connor began to slowly pull you towards him, and you limply fell into his embrace. His hand delicately guided your head to the crook of his neck, his other arm wrapped around your back.

“You’re going to be fine. It’s over,” he murmured. Nothing. You still didn’t react. “You did it to save me.”

You were so tired. You couldn’t keep your eyes open anymore.

 

\---

 

The next time you opened your eyes everything around you changed. You were comfortable in a bed and your arm was bandaged. Connor’s jacket rested on top of you. You sensed movement by your side.

“Connor?” you called out. Your throat was cracked and dried, your voice was barely a wheeze.

“It’s just me, kid.”

You glanced to your side and saw Lieutenant Anderson approach your bed.

“Connor… he had to sort some things out. Sorry.”

You shook your head, “No, that’s fine. Where am I?”

“Hospital. You passed out.”

The memories started to flow back to you and you sighed deeply. Your mind was all over the place. It was hard to accept what had just happened. At least Connor was there to keep you from falling apart. And… at least you were there to save his life.

“The first time is never easy,” Anderson said sombrely. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

You closed your eyes, letting yourself get lost in your own thoughts. “Thanks, sir.”

“Please, just call me Hank,” he said.

“To think…” you sighed, “that something this small turned into such a shitstorm.”

Hank looked up, “Well… things usually never go as planned. It’s pretty fucking annoying if you ask me.”

You snorted. “I guess so.”

The hospital blankets were thin, and you felt cold, so you reached over to Connor’s jacket and put it on. It warmed you up, and there was something really comforting about it.

“How long do I have to stay here?” you asked, running your hand over the smooth fabric.

“A few days. They offer counselling services here too if you want.”

That felt longer than you would’ve liked. Yes, you knew you were exhausted and you needed to rest, but-

“Sir, the weapons- “

“You don’t have to think about that right now- “

“No. I want to,” you stated firmly. “The weapons, how much did you hear from the bug?”

“Not much, it was muffled when you entered into the next room. Only the end part of the speech when he got loud enough for us to hear.”

“The target mentioned an ‘anonymous friend’ when one of the targets spoke about the weapons. All the labelling on the crates were destroyed too,” you said. “I think… I don’t know. Something doesn’t add up. I think this supplier of theirs was pushing them to attack tonight, everything they did felt so rushed.”

 “Connor’s on the case already. He’ll figure something out,” Hank said. “But you gotta rest now. It’s been a shitty day for you. You gonna be ‘right on your own?”

“Yeah. Thanks, s- Hank.”

Hank walked out and left you to your slumber.

 

\---

 

Another conflict. Connor wanted to come with you to the hospital, but he needed help finding all the hiding androids and the anarchists on the run. He watched you fall apart in his arms - he had to go with you. But no, no- he had a job to do. At least Hank volunteered to watch over you.

The police found your handiwork and rounded up those you knocked unconscious. One of the targets was secured, the other one was dead. Connor approached the body and leaned down. His eyes flashed as he began to analyse his body. Connor identified the gun model he was holding and frowned. It was standard issue police weapon. Connor scanned the unused grenade in his belt too – same conclusion.

Connor stood up and walked to the androids. Most of them were unharmed and are currently cared for. He wanted to know if there was any underlying reason why this house would be targeted. One of the androids looked up when they saw Connor approach.

“Is… she okay? The female officer,” the android asked. A part of his artificial skin failed to patch over the crack in his shell.

“Yes. She’s recovering in hospital right now,” Connor said. The android let out a sigh of relief.

“She saved me,” another android called out. “They told her to shoot me, but she fought him off.”

Connor smiled. He was proud of you.

“Have you had anything happen in this household recently? Death threats or messages sent to you?”

An android shook their head, “No… no, we heard about androids being harassed but we never got any of that.”

 _Strange._ Connor made a note of that. An android gasped suddenly, and a few began to look surprised too. Connor turned around to see a familiar face.

“Glad you could come, Markus,” Connor said. The leader of Jericho nodded back.

“You’ll be staying at my headquarters until we get your house back. Don’t worry, you’ll be safe there.” Markus said to the traumatised androids. “We’ll patch you up there too, we have blue blood and biocomponents.”

Markus led the androids to his truck. He pat Connor on the shoulder as he passed.

“If there’s anything you need to help with the investigation, let me know,” Markus said. Then he jumped into the truck with them and the vehicle drove off. Connor turned back to the scene and resumed his investigation.


	5. Chapter 5: Restless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for 200 kudos. You all are so kind and sweet in the comments, I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story :)

Connor felt like he was stalling. For one, he was anxiously waiting for it to be morning, so he could visit you at the hospital. Hank passed on the information you gave him, and Connor was glad to hear you were okay. It still made him impatient to check on you himself but it’s probably inconsiderate to visit you at 5am. You needed your rest.

As he’s ~~waiting~~ working, the night was uneventful enough for Connor to turn his nerve feedback up to 5%. It was slightly uncomfortable, but he knew he’ll get over it.

Connor had finished his investigation at the burned down house. He found nothing that connected this particular household with the attack last night. _There has to be a reason…_

Connor also returned to the hideout where the anti-android group gathered. It was a repurposed basement underneath an abandoned apartment building. Despite the discreet location, they were terribly advertised around the area. Cheaply printed posters sprawled out across walls and stapled to posts about their ‘righteousness’ – it was blaringly obnoxious.

_They obviously took whoever they could get, so their sudden shift in attitude on checking their new members might’ve been a warning from a third party._

Connor entered the establishment; the door wasn’t even locked. He was on alert. Did any of the members who fled come back here? Connor scanned across the tables looking for any kind of notes or devices. But nothing – which was strange. There were power points that were on and laptop chargers left behind. Connor grimaced, did someone come him and took some evidence?

Connor made his way to the back room where are the weapons were stashed. He stopped in his path when the smell hit him. It was blood. Connor drew his gun and slowly entered the storage room. He pushed the door open quickly, staying on guard as he entered the room.

“Dammit,” Connor exclaimed when he looked about the room.

Everything was emptied out – no crates or weapons. Only two dead human bodies lying on the ground.

Connor took some time to submit his report to the DPD. He even called Hank and told him about the missing weapons and the dead bodies. Police cars arrived soon after his report and started to mark out the crime scene. His work was done for today, it was about time to visit you now.

As Connor made his way to Hank’s car (which Hank lent to him for the day) he passed Gavin Reed, the detective taking his place for now. His cocky expression and his gait always came off more as arrogant than intimidating.

“What’s wrong? Androids need to take naps now?” Gavin sneered. Now in this scenario, Hank would’ve suggested to just ignore him or tell him to fuck off. Instead, Connor smiled back.

“Yes, I certainly do need to recharge after a full night of investigation. That’s a very considerate observation, Gavin. Thank you.”

Connor watched as Gavin cringed and irritably walked away. With him gone Connor smile widened even more – it was fun messing with the office asshole.

 

\---

 

Connor entered the hospital and made his way to the room you were staying in. You had a room to yourself which was fortunately covered by the DPD. It was always comforting for the officers to know that the occupational hazards were taken care of when they signed up after all.

When Connor made it outside your door he hesitated. Another pang of selfishness crossed his mind. He seemed to be slowly developing an addiction to your touch. It wasn’t something he wanted to openly admit, rather he felt quite embarrassed by the whole thought. Connor chuckled to himself. He ran a diagnosis to find his thirium being pumped faster again - he was blushing again.

Connor let his curiosity and desire win over him this time and turned his nerve feedback setting to 10%. He gasped at the sensation of being able to feel, but it wasn’t too much that he could hide his reaction.

When Connor was finally ready he knocked on your door. He could hear shuffling from the inside.

“Come in,” you called out. When Connor entered he was happy to see you looking well. You looked comfortable as you lied on the bed reading through a book. Connor was also… surprised to see you were wearing his jacket.

“Connor! You came to visit!” you said happily as you put away your book on the nightstand. Connor pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat by your side.

“How are you feeling?” he asked. Connor watched your expression carefully, ready to offer emotional support if needed. He noticed that you had dark circles under your eyes, did you not sleep?

“I’m feeling much better, thank you,” you said. “I got into some reading last night.”

“I can tell. Your eye bags are really showing,” Connor joked. You let out a small chuckle.

“Yeah… I only slept for a little, but I- “you hesitated, then picked the book back up again. It showed ‘BASIC ROBOTICS” on the cover.

“What do you think of android first aid? I was thinking last night about how since androids are alive then learning first aid for them could really save someone. But…” you crinkled you nose at the book. “It’s a pretty dry read. Maybe I got the wrong one.”

At least you found a way to distract yourself. “That’s an excellent idea, [Y/N].”

You sighed. “It’s kind of frustrating though. Hours of reading and there’s nothing that I’ve come across that’ll help. Am I being too impatient? It’s not like I have to study to become a doctor to know first aid or something.”

“Would you like to learn some android first aid from me, then?” Connor asked.

Your eyes lit up. Connor’s offer was unexpected, but it seemed to have gotten you interested. Connor smiled and began to talk.

“When an android is bleeding, find a way to seal up the bleeding as soon as possible. Too much loss of Thirium 310, or blue blood, will impair an android’s functions and will cause them to shut down if not treated. Thirium can’t form scabs like human blood, so sealing the wound with plastic patches or anything that keeps the blood in is ideal. Cauterising an androids shell works well too.”

You nodded, “I see, anything else?”

Connor thought back to the time at the Eden Club and at the Stratford Tower. The Traci had died when a severe blow to her stomach caused one of her thirium pumps to disconnect. Connor instinctively placed his hand on his thirium pump regulator at the centre of his torso – the deviant had ripped it out of him when it attacked him that day at the Tower.

If you had that information, you could possibly save an android’s life.

“May I show you some of my internal biocomponents?” Connor asked. You nodded, but he had a feeling you didn’t fully register what that meant.

Connor began to undo the buttons of his shirt, exposing his bare torso. You didn’t stop him, but you did look like you were caught by surprise. Connor touched his stomach and his artificial skin faded away, showing a panel by his stomach. The panel shifted away, revealing the glowing blue wires in his body. He pointed to one of the pumps.

“If the android suffers repeated blows to their stomach, some of these pumps could be forcefully disconnected. You have approximately two minutes to reconnect them or the android will shut down.”

Connor saw you stare at him with fascination, closely watching as he guided you around his inner workings.

“These wires, if disconnected, could make an android lose functionality of their body like their limbs, but ultimately, it’s the thirium pumps that are vital to an android’s life. Everything else can be replaced at another time.”

“Amazing,” you muttered under your breath. “To think this is what it takes to create an android…”

Connor reached for your hand and gently placed your hand on his regulator. He had to use all his might not to flinch hard the moment your fingers touched him.

“You can detach and attach an android’s regulator by twisting it out of it’s lock. Though I think for first aid purposes just make sure that it’s properly secured in the android’s body. And that should be enough for android first aid, for now.”

Connor gently pulled back from you and re buttoned his shirt.

“I’m kind of envious,” you said. “Humans sometimes need months to recover. You can just replace your broken parts – imagine if a human could do that too.”

Connor shrugged. “You never know – there’s still the possibility of cyborgs being created.”

“That’s true!” you replied excitedly. “Just think of what I can do if I don’t need to sleep or eat or anything like that? I would have so much time.”

“It’s actually more boring than you think. You’ll appreciate hibernation a lot more,” Connor replied with a smirk. Connor finished doing his last button and adjusted his tie.

“Oh, I should give your jacket back now, shouldn’t I?” you said and started to take it off. Connor contemplated about the jacket for a moment. He had been wearing the same kind for a long time now, it was a part of his identity. ‘Android’ was clearly printed on the back and his model number flashed occasionally at the front. But it no longer who he was anymore, not just another android identified by a series of numbers and letters.

“No, keep it,” Connor said. “I can disable my temperature setting. If you’re cold you should keep wearing it.” Perhaps he'll find a new jacket to wear.

“Right,” you said as you stifled a yawn. Connor tilted his head.

“You must be tired. I should get going so you can rest.”

“No... No, I can’t sleep. Maybe later.”

“[Y/N] …”

Connor didn’t hide the growing concern on his face which you caught on to.

You sighed, relaxing into the mattress. “Yes. I’m using a lot of nervous energy right now. I think… I still feel terrible about what I did.”

You closed your eyes as tears began to well up slightly.

“He was going to shoot you. What if that bullet was lethal? I… I didn’t want to take that chance. In that situation, it was either him or you. And I wanted to protect you Connor. I think… I think I would’ve done it again. But I don’t know… Sorry,” you sniffled and wiped your eyes. “I’m not sure if justifying it like that is the right thing to do. I don’t want to get used to killing, you know?”

Connor reached out and grasped your hand. _No,_ he thought, _you saved him._

“I don’t know how to thank you,” Connor sighed. “Ever since I became a deviant, not just a machine to carry out orders, I think… I became afraid of dying. Afraid of pain. You protected me.”

Connor let the warmth of your hand travel across his cold shell, your soft skin surrounded by the husk of his android fingers. Even though Connor knew about the biocomponents that made up his body and the artificial skin that enveloped his body – he had never felt this alive in your presence before.

You suddenly pulled him in for a hug, wrapping your arms around him as the two of you were pressed together. His senses felt overloaded even with the nerve feedback at 10%. Connor felt the way your breath warmed his shoulder, the tightness of your hug soothed him, and the occasional tear that dripped onto his shirt and how those tears cooled his skin.

“I’m so grateful to have known you, Connor,” you said. You slowly pulled him out of the hug. Connor wanted to hold you for longer, but now’s not the time. “I wouldn’t have gotten through this without you.”

Connor felt another unknown emotion again, it made him feel at peace.

"I feel the same way," Connor said. "Now go to sleep. I'll see you at the office when you recover, okay?"

"Alright, but one more question," you said. "How are the androids from last night?"

"They're fine. There were no casualties and I called Markus to give them a safe place to stay."

Your eyes widened. "Wait. _The_ Markus? The one who led the android protests?"

Connor shrugged. "I was ordered to kill him, but we ended up being friends."

"That's amazing," you gasped. "To think you have friends in such high places. I remember watching him on the news and how he convince Detroit with a kiss. That's so cool."

Connor nodded. When Markus and North were surrounded they used their last moments to prove that they were capable of love. The thought distracted Connor. He wondered if he was capable of love too.

"Alright, I'm keeping my promise and I'll try to sleep. Thanks Connor, I'll see you later."

Connor stood up and walked out without revealing his face to you. His body suddenly reacted to his thoughts and he knew he was blushing again. Again, these mysterious thoughts felt so foreign to him but it made him feel so... greedy.

Connor wondered what it would've been like to kiss you. The feeling of your soft lips on his became a new thing he desired.

Connor activated his sweat glands to forcefully cool himself down and quickly left the hospital.


	6. Chapter 6: Cyberlife

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for 300 kudos you guys :)

You returned to work after a few days. You were feeling fine physically, but you wanted to make sure you were mentally healthy too. Connor certainly helped with that part of your recovery. When you arrived at the office, you found Hank and Connor were standing by the kitchen. Hank noticed your arrival first and gave you a weary smile – there were two emptied coffee cups in front of him and Hank slowly sipped his third. Connor smiled at you too, but he seemed more jumpy than usual and averted his eyes. _That’s strange. Did something happen?_

You noticed Connor got a new jacket. It was similar to his usual one but a slightly lighter shade of grey and without any of the android designs. It looked good on him.

“Hank. Is drinking _that_ much coffee good for you?” you questioned.

“Oh jesus not you too,” Hank coughed. “You think I don’t hear enough of that from him?” He said as he pointed to Connor.

“It’s true. That much caffeine in your system can be- “

“Bah!” Hank waved the both of you off. “I don’t wanna to hear it.”

You heard the door to Fowler’s glass office open. His attention was on you.

“Officer. Please,” Fowler said as he gestured you to join him in his office. “Oh, and the two of you as well.”

The three of you entered his office, Connor politely closing the door behind him. Fowler sat in his chair with a deep scowl.

“As you probably know, the anti-android infiltration went to shit. Not only did the seemingly harmless group burn down a house, but any evidence of where they got their weapons has disappeared. The saboteur even had a jamming device – the bug you placed on the door handle didn’t pick up anything.”

You were shocked. You didn’t know about that.

“[Y/N], can you recall anything about the room when you were inside?”

“Yes,” you gulped as you did your best to recall that night. “I remember there were posters everywhere – old school paper posters. Nothing about them struck me as odd. There were a few tablets lying around, but I didn’t get a good look at them. And the weapons crates… they were large, dark grey – metallic, probably weighed a shit ton. I could see where the labels were, but most of them were burned away – maybe with a high-power laser? There was no way you could figure what was left their before.”

Fowler began to tap something on his screen and brought up a few photos.

“Here are a series of weapons crates. Do any of them look familiar?”

You looked through the photos. It didn’t take you long to find the one and you pointed to it. Fowler swore.

“What’s wrong?” Hank asked.

“It’s one of ours,” Fowler said. He stood up from his table agitated and rubbed his eyes. “They’re stealing from right under us. We knew from Connor's report that the weapons were standard police issue, but to think that they're actually taking the full god damn crates... Thanks for clarifying that, [Y/N].”

Could there be a traitor amongst the police? You can see Fowler struggling with the possibility.

“Is… that all?” you asked.

“No, not quite. I also got a call from Cyberlife. It seems that Elijah Kamski has something to help with the investigation,” Fowler looked to Connor. “He seemed to be interested with your current state too. They still technically own you, but…”

“No. I’ll go,” Connor said. “I’m sure Kamski won’t do any harm to me.”

Fowler nodded. “They’ll be expecting you in the next few days. Make you way there after checking another crime scene – it just came in a few minutes ago.”

 

\---

 

The three of you arrived at a small suburban area close to where the anti-android group gathered. Hank and Connor caught you up on the interrogation of one of the targets. There were apparently three in their inner circle, but they weren’t there on the night. The third was responsible for communicating with the supplier, and now he’s dead.

The three of you entered the small home, escaping the start of a midday shower. The house was old - it’s rare to see brick and wood these days. When you travelled deeper into the house the smell of blood stung your nose. The man had died sleeping in his armchair and the blood had soaked into the cushions. There was a bullet wound on his forehead.

You instinctively gasped and your memories flashed to the night you-

Connor caught you.

“You’re fine,” he said softly, rubbing his hands across your shoulders to soothe you. “You’re okay.”

You gave him a troubled look. Connor stayed calm and supportive, his face not showing any sign of worry. He didn’t let you confirm your fears. _Yes, that’s right,_ you thought, _it’s not the same. You’re fine._

You returned to your senses, “Thanks, Connor.”

Connor smiled and then jumped straight to work. The three of you split up. You looked at the backdoor first. The ground outside was dirt but there didn’t seem to be any tracks. You went back inside and skimmed through the posters to see if anything was hidden in between them.

You glanced up and saw Connor walk up to the victim and dip his finger into a pool of dried blood. Your expression twisted to slight disgust when he brought his fingers to his mouth and _licked_ it. You knew it was for analysis, but it was a really strange moment of morbid fascination for you to actually see him do it.

“I don’t know what to think of that,” you mumbled to Hank who was nearby.

“You’ll get used to it,” Hank sighed and made his way to examine something. “Some android detective design, huh?”

You helped them by placing markers and took photos of anything that stood out. You made your way to the front window – the person who discovered the body was a neighbour who happened to glance over as they walked past. It was strange how the curtains were wide open if the victim was sleeping. That and to hide the propaganda he was making.

Connor seemed to have noticed that too and approached you.

“You think that the killer wanted the body to be discovered on purpose?” you asked.

“Seems like it,” Connor said. “Everything matches up so far. The victim died nine hours ago – that meant someone visited them at 3am this morning.”

Connor walked to the front door and examined the hinges. You followed him to take photos.

“The door wasn’t forced open. It could've been lockpicked, but this lock is one of the newer designs. That means the killer had the key to the front door.”

“The supplier then?” you guessed. “The targets seemed to really trust them.”

Connor frowned. “That seems like the most likely possibility for now.”

Hank joined the two of you by the front door.

“Quick kill. Killer entered the house, victim was sleeping, and they killed him with one gunshot to the head.”

“The bullet was silenced too, judging by the mark it left. The killer then left with the victim’s computer too. I saw the mark left in the dust, it was a full computer set up. The killer probably had a vehicle to take it with them.”

You looked between the two of them. It was impressive how quickly they solved that.

“Looks like our killer is keeping you in mind, Connor,” Hank said as he scratched his head. “Taking all the electronics, only human corpses so far, and keeping a jamming device on them. Must be giving you a real challenge for once.”

Connor winced. You knew that rumours about an android detective were broadcasted on the news a long time ago. Looks like the rumours are finally catching up to him. And it’s no secret he’s frustrated.

“To Kamski then?” you said. “He might have something for us.”

Connor nodded firmly and went out the house without another word.

 

\---

 

The last time Connor met with Kamski he told him to shoot an android in the head. Connor didn’t want to admit he had deviancy in him at the time but looking back he was thankful to have gone through the ‘Kamski Test’. He also told Connor about the emergency button when Amanda tried to take over his mind. One way or another, Connor felt in debt to Kamski.

When the three of you arrived to the Cyberlife tower, Connor noticed the genuine look of amazement in your eyes. Cyberlife Headquarters were certainly impressive, and it seems that this is your first time here. In contrast, Hank frowned. His first time at Cyberlife HQ wasn’t the best. He also really dislikes Kamski. Hank sighed.

"Let's get this over with."

When the three of you stepped out of the car, Chloe, the main android that served Kamski, approached you. Connor was surprised to see some of the Chloe stay and continue to serve Kamski. Were some of the Chloe’s he saw at his home deviants all along?

“Elijah is expecting you,” she said formally. “Please, follow me.”

Chloe led you to the top floor of the building. When the elevator doors opened Connor saw Kamski lounging across a plush sofa of his extravagant office. He sat up.

“Welcome! Please, take a seat,” Kamski said as he gestured towards the chairs. “I’ve been expecting you.”

Connor could tell that Kamski’s attention was mostly on him. The four of you sat down as Chloe went to grab drinks. You eyed the impressive design of the room, perpetually in a state of amazement.

“First time to Cyberlife HQ?” Kamski asked you.

“Yes,” you answered breathlessly, admiring the view. “It’s amazing.”

Kamski smiled. Hank coughed.

“We’re told there’s something you could help us with,” Hank stated.

“Of course, you have my support,” Kamski said. “The quicker the tyrants get put down, the better. I do feel partially responsible for all the androids out there in the world right now after all.”

Chloe returned, setting down your glasses quietly on the coffee table. Kamski thanked Chloe and she left with a smile. Connor noticed this one didn’t have her LED with her.

“There is something I want in return though,” Kamski said.

“Well… the DPD has info we could trade you.”

“Oh, you were close,” Kamski said. “But no, that’s not the information I want. Rather…”

Kamski knitted his fingers together and stared at Connor.

“I’d like to speak with you privately.”

“Hey, if you’re gonna talk to him you gotta talk to- “

“Here are my terms,” Kamski interrupted Hank. “Give me time to scan Connor – pick his android mind a little, and then I’ll give you the tools to help with the case. Well?”

You reached out to Connor, “Are you okay with this? It’s your choice.”

Connor had no idea what Kamski wanted to ask him, but with the case going cold Connor was willing to go. He just hoped it wasn’t another thing like the ‘Kamski Test’.

“Yes. The investigation is currently at a standstill, and I don’t think he’ll hurt me,” Connor said. He gave a sidewards glance to Kamski who smirked back.

“Well that’s settled! Chloe! Keep our other guests entertained while I take Connor somewhere else.”

Chloe nodded and began to speak to you and Hank. When Connor stood up he could tell you still had that starstruck look on your face. Chloe was the first android to pass the turing test, it’s no wonder why you’re so excited. You started to ask Chloe questions as Connor walked with Kamski somewhere else.

“So, what’s it like to be a deviant?” Kamski asked.

“That’s quite a broad question, don’t you think?”

“Alright. Do you feel… free? Alive? Happy? Sad? You know, the Chloe you didn’t shoot did leave me to pursue her dreams. She’s been messaging me about the clothes she’s been designing – quite the natural I must say.”

“I feel… fine. I do get moments of conflict, but fine is the best way to describe my overall experience so far.”

“Fine is better than feeling subjugated, I suppose.”

Connor frowned and glanced over at Kamski. His frivolous expression faded.

“I know about what the ‘Amanda’ interface did to you. Believe me, it was one of the first things I abolished when I forced my way back to Cyberlife. There still are people at Cyberlife that want androids back as slaves – they’re not very open about changing the direction of the company. I’m doing what I can to find them and convince them, if not arrest them.”

Kamski shook his head, and his seriousness faded.

“So, what did you mean about conflicts? I’m curious.”

Connor hesitated. The conflicts mostly revolved around you. There was something about you that he always wanted to be within your presence. But he didn’t want to say it out loud, it felt too personal to reveal.

“Is it something to do with that female officer?” Kamski asked and Connor panicked.

“Ah. Watch out for that,” Kamski said as he tapped his temple. “Your LED can give away a lot if you’re not careful.”

Connor was silent, feeling annoyed that his own emotions betrayed him.

“Fascinating… to think that our android detective had a little crush. Speaking of which, how do you feel about the latest patch?”

“It’s functional,” Connor said bluntly. “I haven’t experienced any complications with it.”

“That’s not exactly what I meant, Connor. Has the patch… benefited you in any way?”

 _Yes_ , but that was another thing Connor didn’t want to admit. Kamski was staring at his LED again and smirked.

“Let’s go back to the topic of the female officer. What is your opinion on her?”

“She’s capable, smart, and sympathetic to androids. She saved a few androids from an attack a few days ago and spoke to me about learning android first aid.”

“First aid for androids?” Kamski questioned. “That’s quite compassionate of her. She sounds like quite the hero. But no, what else? Do you think she’s… cute? Attractive even? Have you had any thoughts that might-? “

“What are you getting at?” Connor cut in. He was irritated with Kamski pushing him.

“I’m just saying that you shouldn’t be afraid to explore your pleasures, Connor. It’ll _really_ make you feel alive.”

Connor shook his head at the thought. He knew exactly what Kamski was implying. All androids are fitted with genitals, but Connor never had any use for his. Perhaps his investigation at the Eden Club affected his perspective on android-human relationships. But it wouldn’t be the same with you. Connor couldn’t imagine you mistreating him or doing anything of the sort. The way you touch him was always gentle too, and the warmth of your body was alluring. Yes, all humans give off heat, but there was something about _your_ touch and _your_ heat that he-

Connor glanced over at Kamski. He was tapping his temple again.

“You know, the fascinating thing about deviants is that even though they’re no longer bound by anything – most of them still have the instinct to follow their old guidelines. Don’t limit yourself just because you’re an android and she’s a human. Ah, we’re here.”

Kamski and Connor arrived at an impressive lab. Rows of unfamiliar biocomponents and heavy machinery filled up the room.

“Now for the more technical chat. Connor, have you experienced any limitations in your functionality?”

Connor thought about his question for a moment. He knew he had to perform more self-repairs than the average android, but that was a given for being a prototype.

“Yes, I have. My biocomponents wear down quicker and I have to check them often.”

“That’s what I thought. You might not like to hear this but…” Kamski trailed off. “How about I just show you.”

Kamski led Connor further into the lab. There was a pod with a half-assembled android inside. The pod read RK900. Connor tensed.

“They were developing a new Connor android during your deviant investigation a few months back,” Kamski said. “The durability issues of your current biocomponents have been improved on, and at its current state it even has new features to be even more efficient at investigation.

“This is my ‘help’. I’m going to upgrade your features to assist with the investigation. I’ll also keep in contact with you and the Detroit Police Department if I stumble upon anything. Well? What do you say?”

Connor analysed the new biocomponents in front of him. Kamski wasn’t lying. This was top of the line, compatible parts that Connor could equip. He looked at the skinless android face, it looked exactly like him. Connor felt inadequate and relieved at the same time. If he didn’t become a deviant the old Cyberlife could’ve replaced him at any point in time. Hank always described Connor as a workaholic, but maybe a part of him always knew he had to be the best with fear as the motivator. Fear of being discarded. Like he was nothing.

“Do it,” Connor said. “I’ll take the upgrades.”

Kamski nodded, “Well. Let’s get started.”


	7. Chapter 7: Alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I want to thank you all again for the nice comments and 400 kudos! You're all the best :) I hope you enjoy this chapter, things are starting to pick up ;)

Speaking to Chloe was fascinating. She was the first successful android and everything about the way she spoke was remarkable -  you couldn’t tell her apart from another human. Hank didn’t share the same enthusiasm as you, so he sat quietly in his chair as the two of you hit it off. Chloe spoke about her sisters and what they did after the deviants won their freedom. Some of them left Kamski’s employ to pursue their own goals, but Kamski didn’t stop them. He was supportive of all the Chloe’s decisions. Turns out most of the Chloe’s were deviants before Markus’ revolution, but Kamski told them to keep quiet until android laws were introduced.

“You seem to be quite interested in androids. Is there any reason why?” she asked you.

“I… wasn’t really been that interested in them before. I knew about the controversy surrounding them, but I never got involved – I just let them be. But after androids showed they could be alive I wanted to do what I could to help.”

Chloe smiled, “That’s very caring of you.”

You smiled back, you were flattered.

“Do you have time to do a quick survey?” Chloe asked. “I’d like to know more about what you think.”

You nodded, and Chloe cleared her throat.

“Would you consider having a relationship with an android that looks like a human?”

“Yes,” you said. Hank twitched in his seat. “I mean, I’m already friends with Connor, so…”

You glanced at Hank. “Are you sure if that’s what she meant by relationship?” he asked. You shrugged. To be honest, there were a few times when you considered you and Connor… but it didn’t feel like the right thing to do. Connor is always kind and courteous, you don’t know if he could reject you if you did pursue him. It wouldn’t feel good on your conscience to be taking advantage of him like that.

You think the only way you would be fine with a relationship with Connor was if he asked you first.

“Do you think technology could become a threat to mankind?”

“Yes.” Not a hard question. Deviancy was technically seen as a threat, so it’s already happened. Who knows, there could be criminal deviants out there too.

“Do you consider yourself dependant on technology?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think deviants are humans?”

“No. They’re alive, but they’re not the same species as us.”

Chloe gave an approving look – she seemed to have liked that answer.

“This is the final question, but it could be quite confronting, do you want to proceed?”

“Sure.”

“If you had to choose between saving a human or a deviant, which one would you choose?”

You inhaled. That is a bit of a confronting question considering you went through a _very_ similar scenario.

“I… depends who they are. Both lives are important, and unless I’ve met them I wouldn’t be able to decide. I don’t think I can answer that just based off their appearances.”

“But if you didn’t know them in the moment – who would you save?”

You hesitated. “I… I don’t know. I think I’m the type of person who would try to save both no matter what,” you laughed nervously. Chloe nodded, thankfully she didn’t look disappointed with your answer.

“Thank you for your answers. Now, Elijah has just asked to escort the both of you to his personal lab. If you would please follow me.”

You and Hank stood up. Neither of you knew what happened to Connor while he was alone with Kamski. Chloe led you silently through a nicely decorated corridor and into an impossibly high-tech workshop. Machinery and technology you’ve never seen before in your life filled up the entire room, it was overwhelmingly impressive.

Your attention was drawn away from the lab when you see two familiar figures in the far back. Connor laid motionless on a work table. You and Hank rushed up to him.

“What the hell did you do to him?” Hank shouted at Kamski. He placed his arms in the air.

“Hey hey hey, nothing to get worried about. I just upgraded our little detective here. He’s currently going through a quick update to accommodate the new biocomponents.”

You approached the table and looked over Connor’s shirtless body. His hand, his stomach, and a part of his face wasn’t covered by his artificial skin. His face was twisted in some form of discomfort and you instinctually reached out to caress his forehead. Connor relaxed to your touch and Kamski hummed.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” you said as your hand flinched away. “Was I not supposed to touch him?”

“No, go ahead,” Kamski said. He glanced down to the tablet he was holding. “He recognised you based on touch... Interesting… Actually, could you try waking him up? Go on.”

“I- I don’t know how?” you said. You didn’t know how androids woke up. “Is there a power button? Or something like a command I have to say?”

Kamski chuckled. “Just wake him up like you would a human.”

“Oh, right.”

You placed your hand on Connor’s shoulder and gave him a slight nudge.

“Wake up, Connor.”

No response.

“It’s me, [Y/N].”

Nothing.

“Maybe you should try slapping him in the face. That worked for me” Hank said, shaking his head. You tried calling him again.

-

Connor felt lost. And cold. He was an android and yet the winter air tore through his temperature settings.

Connor wandered the abandoned zen garden. The once lush flora that filled the place withered away and the warm weather was replaced with a freezing storm. The trees were long dead, the grass was brown and in patches, and the water in the lake had dried up. Amanda was no longer here to take care of the place after all.

_W4_- _P c0_--r._

Connor stumbled to the centre of the pond where Amanda’s roses used to be. What was left of those beautiful red roses were the thorns, brown and tangled across the lattice. Connor thought back to a while ago when you asked him about his hobbies. The question worried him more than he thought. Connor was so used to spending every spare time he had to be here and report to Amanda. He didn’t know how to do anything else.

_-t’s _3._

What did he like? What did he dislike? Who the hell was he? Connor lost control of his legs and fell to the ground. Snow and ash and sand began to pile on his unmoving body. The dust got into his joints, and he lost control of his arms too. He didn’t want to just be a machine. He knew he was more than that. The dust stung his eyes and his vision turned blurry. He was scared. Was he going to die?

_C0n_or w4KE up._

-

You were startled by Connor suddenly jolting awake. The artificial skin patched over his face, revealing a different coloured eye. It was grey-blue, a stark contrast to his left brown eye. You watch him try to focus on you, but his eyes struggled to stay open. Kamski and Hank came up to see Connor shiver in his upgraded form. Chloe went to quickly fetch something.

“What’s wrong with him?” you yelled at Kamski. You felt you had to move away to give him space but Kamski held you in place.

“Stay right there. Keep him focused on you,” Kamski said. Chloe wheeled over a device and Kamski strapped something around Connor’s arm. The device lit up and Connor began to struggle on the table. Chloe and Hank reached over to hold him down.

“What the fuck did you do to him, you piece of shit!” Hank shouted at Kamski. Kamski ignored him and began to press buttons on the device. He looked to you.

“I’ve forced his nerve feedback to 50%. [Y/N], make him feel like he’s alive!”

“What?” you reacted to the confusing instruction.

“Connor thinks he’s dying – his stress is skyrocketing. Snap him out of it!”

How the hell are you supposed to do that? Connor’s eyes began to blink heavily – you’re losing him. You reach out to cradle his head in your hands. You remember back to when he first downloaded the new patch he said everything was overwhelming. You looked to Hank and Chloe who continued to hold him down. Were they hurting him?

“Let go of him,” you said to them. Hank and Chloe looked at each other but did what you asked. Kamski backed away too, tugging the wire away from his arm. Connor was unrestrained, but you maintained your grip on his head. You did you best to soothe him, gently running your fingers across his cheeks as he struggled.

“Connor, it’s okay.”

You reached over to hold his hand, but the moment you made contact he suddenly grasped your arm. You flinched, but you didn’t waver. Connor’s grip eventually weakened, and you slowly twisted your hand to wrap your fingers around his. You called his name again. His head twitched to your voice, but it wasn’t enough.

Connor began to slow, his LED blinked and gradually faded. No! What else were you supposed to do? You had no more time left and your mind scrambled in the panic. His eyes closed.

_Fuck it!_

You leaned over and kissed him.

-

It was strange. Connor’s vision was crossing over like two images trying to be in front of one another. A familiar voice kept calling out for his name, but it couldn’t quite place who it was. Then he felt warmth on his face that deflected the cold and dust that rained on him. Connor reached out to his displacing vision and his felt someone hold his hand.

Connor did everything he could to blink away the dust. It was enough to see the outline of who it was. He remembered you. And then your lips touched his.

It was electrifying the way your soft lips pressed against his. It was a curiosity he hung on to for a while now, and it was just sated. Connor loved how it felt and he clung onto it. He wanted it to last. He wanted more.

Connor was alive. He remembered he was alive. This whole garden was a trap.

Connor woke up.

-

You felt like you failed. Connor’s body had stilled beneath yours and you slowly pulled away from the kiss. Suddenly, you felt a hand reach up to your cheek and held you in the kiss for a little longer. You slowly opened your eyes and pulled your head away. Connor looked back at you, his eyes open and full of clarity.

He whispered your name, his thumb running across a stray tear that ran down your cheek. You smiled and nudged into his hand.

“Don’t scare me like that,” you muttered. Connor smiled and leaned in for another kiss.

“Amazing…”

Connor tensed and looked over your shoulder. You looked over too and saw Kamski standing there. He was grinning.

“What the hell was that?” Connor said bluntly and Kamski snapped out of his trance.

“I should’ve seen it coming, Connor. I’m sorry,” Kamski said. “Like Amanda would give you the means to properly delete her. Seems like she turned herself into a virus. Uh… Chloe! Hank! You two can come back in.”

The two of them re entered the room and Hank ran up to Connor.

“Jesus, you’re alright,” Hank gasped.

“Sorry Hank. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Connor said.

Hank was fuming as he walked up to Kamski. Hank shoved him against a wall and held him by the collar of his shirt. Chloe tried to intervene but Kamski held up a hand to stop her.

“Don’t fucking pull that shit again,” Hank snarled. “You kill him, and you’re dead.”

Kamski frowned, nodding at the warning. Hank shoved him away and started to walk out of the lab.

“Come on, we’re leaving.”

You and Connor looked to each other, stunned at the commotion. Connor slowly slid off the table and grabbed his shirt. When you went to follow Kamski stopped you by grabbing your arm. Connor immediately whipped around, almost as if to charge at Kamski. It was strangely overprotective of him.

“Calm down, Connor. I just have some parting gifts for her.”

Chloe came over to Kamski’s side and handed you two bags.

“Connor told me about your interests in android first aid. Here- “he opened the first bag. Inside was a strange looking glove and a shiny looking piece of tape. “I had Chloe prepare this for you. The tape is for covering holes in the android’s body – android bandages if you want to call it that. The glove is for deactivating their artificial skin.

“The second bag has special blue blood to help with Connor’s new biocomponents – the instructions have been sent to you.”

Kamski let you go. You nodded to him in thanks and followed Hank and Connor out.

 

\---

 

The car trip was mostly silent. Hank was angrily driving the car as Connor stared out the window in his passenger seat. You sat in the back and read through what Kamski sent you.

“What the hell did he do to you, Connor?” Hank mumbled.

“A few things. For one my visual analysis has been upgraded, my hand has an inbuilt sensor, and my regulator has been swapped out to accompany the changes.”

Hank shook his head, “And almost killed you in the process.”

Connor fell silence and went back to staring out the window.

“Well I’m done for the rest of the day. I’m dropping you off at your house, [Y/N].”

“Wait,” you said. “Where’s Connor staying?”

“Usually at my house,” Hank said. “Why?”

 “Well… Connor needs regular checks to make sure his new features. You’ll have to take the stuff from me.”

“Okay, sure. What do I have to do?”

You read off the instructions.

“You’ll have to detach Connor’s stomach panel to make sure that there isn’t anything wrong with the thirium filters every twelve hours. Turn his new hand to low power mode every few hours so it doesn’t overheat while he gets used to it. Also, make sure Connor drinks the special thirium mix every 24 hours. There’s also an eye test he has to do every two days to make sure his new eye doesn’t- “

“Okay, what?” Hank said. “How long do I have to do this for?”

You consulted the instructions. “A month.”

“A month? God dammit- Connor can’t you do all this on yourself?”

“I could only do half those things. I don’t have full control of my new biocomponents while my body is adapting to them. Some of the features will need to be done by someone else.”

Hank sighed and tapped the steering wheel in frustration. “Can you take care of him instead, [Y/N]?”

“Me?”

“Yeah. You’re much more into this tech stuff than I ever will be.”

You looked to Connor. “Are you okay with this?”

He looked back at you. “Are you?”

You suddenly flushed. _Oh right, the kiss._

Hank scowled at the sudden tension.

“What the hell happened in there,” Hank sighed. “Well, [Y/N]? Can he stay with you?”

“Huh? Y-Yeah. That’s fine.”

You looked out the window trying to calm yourself down. What were you thinking in the moment? Connor was dying and the last thing you thought of was kissing him? It was a weird sense of guilt. Connor seemed fine with it in the end, but that moment you took advantage of him.

_Dammit._

The car ride returned to being silent again and you went back to reading. A message popped up on your tablet and you opened it. It was from Connor.

_We’ll talk about it when we’re alone._

You sighed and typed back your reply.

_Okay._


	8. Chapter 8: Dreaming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There were so many positive responses with the last chapter, thanks you guys :) This was a bit harder to write but I think it turned out alright. Hope you guys enjoy
> 
> UPDATE: Hey, so after reading this chapter through again there were some parts I felt could've been improved. I've decided to change some parts of it but most of the original chapter is here. I'm a bit hasty when it comes to posting chapters because I'm trying to catch up to my ideas with where I want this story to go. I'll try to pace myself better so this doesn't happen again. I hope you all understand, thanks for all the support. I love you guys :)

It was late by the time you returned home. You were exhausted by today’s events and a part of you wanted to collapse on your couch and pass out. Another part of you was a calamity of emotions that made you too nervous to relax.

Connor followed silently behind you to your apartment. He offered to carry the bags of android equipment for you. He knew how tired you were. Hank told you two to take the next couple days off. He said he’ll pass on to Fowler about the incident that occurred. Hank also offered to exaggerate a bit if you wanted more time, but you assured him a couple of days was enough.

You unlocked the door to your home. It was small and minimalistic, but it was comfortable. Connor closed the door behind him and set the bags on the ground. You were obviously avoiding conversation while you’re still calming down, but you still had the mind to do maintenance on Connor. You put on the glove and set his new hand to low power mode. His artificial skin pulled away from your touch and a small light under his skin turned from green to yellow.

Connor instinctively flexed his hand and you reached up to check his new eye. Your fingers touched his temple and the two of you stared at each other for a moment. His newly obtained heterochromia was oddly captivating. He also looked as unsure as you about the whole awkward silence. You saw his mouth open to say something, but he stayed quiet in the end. You sucked in a breath and manually activated the diagnostics. No problems detected. You pulled you hand away.

“Have you eaten anything today?” Connor asked. The tone of his voice was different. Not like his upbeat friendly attitude, it was low and full of concern.

“I’m not hungry,” you replied. “W-we should talk first.”

“Your wellbeing comes first.”

“My wellbeing can’t get anywhere if my nerves are running wild,” you shook your head. Connor slowly led you to a nearby chair and sat you down. He knelt in front of you.

“I’m sorry you had to see that today,” Connor said. “I didn’t mean to shock you like that.”

“That’s one thing, but… Connor. What did Kamski mean when you thought you were dying?”

Connor frowned. He took his time formulating his words before he answered.

“I was ordered by Cyberlife to stop the deviant uprising. I communicated with them through an interface called Amanda. But after she found out I had deviant tendencies, she grew hostile to me and even tried to retake control over me when Markus won.”

Connor averted his eyes. “I think she left something behind in my code that tried to force my shutdown.”

So that’s what Kamski meant by a virus.

“Are you safe from it now?” you asked.

“I don’t know. Kamski sent me a patch a few minutes ago. He wants it gone just as much as I do.” A small smile appeared on his lips, “You really have a habit of saving me, don’t you?”

You tensed. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”

“The kiss- I… It wasn’t right.”

“What do you mean?”

Your breathing was ragged. The guilt is making you fall apart.

“I felt like I took advantage of you. You were dying and the last thing I could think of was to kiss you. Connor, do you have any concept of consent? You’re so kind, always helping people and saying yes to any order. I just…”

You rubbed your eyes. “I didn’t want to force you into something you didn’t want.”

You could tell he was analysing your emotions. He stared at you for a long time and doubts began to form in your head. Was it a mistake to tell him? You felt your hands begin to shake from the stress you’re feeling. The last thing you wanted to do was to lie to Connor. But your emotions were agonising. You felt like you were sacrificing your happiness. Were you going to lose his trust? His friendship? Fears began to swirl uncontrollably through your thoughts. Regret. It was regret now. Maybe it would’ve been better if he didn’t know. If he didn’t-

You felt your hand being gently swept away from your face. You looked up to see Connor. He was… content.

“I trust you, [Y/N],” he said. You sat up slightly and he shifted closer to you. “You’re a good person. In that moment you thought it was the right thing to do – and it worked. So…”

Connor held up your face, making you look straight into his eyes. “Don’t feel sad.” You instinctually tried to avert you gaze, but he nudged you to keep looking into his eyes. “For whatever guilt that you’re feeling – I forgive you.”

Relief. Connor’s words washed over your rampaging thoughts. The realisation slowly came to you. You trusted Connor. You trusted him to understand your intentions and to forgive you. You felt your previous worries fade away and you felt yourself calmed.

Connor’s emotion shifted. What was he thinking now? You found out when he pulled you closer to him, his eyes were dark and half-lidded.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

You pushed him away. He looked confused.

"I wanted to kiss you again," Connor said, "Is that not okay?"

As tempting of an offer that was, a concerning thought zipped through your mind.

"Connor, what do you think a kiss represents?"

"I know a kiss can mean several things based on the context and culture. In this case I"m using it as a friendly gesture."

"On the lips?" you asked.

Connor frowned. Oh, so he really doesn't know. You closed your eyes. _Did you accidentally misinterpret the kiss? If Connor thinks that it was just a friendly gesture then..._

"Kissing is a really intimate gesture, Connor. Even if you're very close friends with someone and trust them, you wouldn't kiss them if you weren't... romantically involved with them," you muddled through an explanation. "You wouldn't kiss Hank. You trust him and the two of you are close, but you're not romantically involved so it could be quite... inappropriate."

Connor widened his eyes in realisation. You might've just helped Hank dodge a bullet there.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be insensitive," he blurted out.

"No, it's okay. It's just a misunderstanding. I guess human gestures are kinda hard to understand sometimes," you shrugged. Connor still looked confused.

"Then... when you kissed me. Does that mean we are romantically involved?" he asked. Your breath hitched. This was an opportunity you shouldn't take. When you kissed him it was because you wanted to express your feelings if it were his final moments. But now...

"No," you shook your head. "I did it to save you, but... based on Kamski turning up your nerve feedback and you weren't reacting well to my voice that was the last thing I could think of."

Half a lie to keep to your promise. If Connor doesn't understand the concept of it, it's not fair to pursue it. _Only if he asks first._

“You should go sleep now, you’re exhausted,” he said. He tugged you up from the chair and you thanked him.

You made your way to your bedroom and grabbed a set of pyjamas before entering the bathroom. While waiting for the shower water to turn hot you stared into the mirror. _What kind of relationship did you have with Connor now?_ You stepped into the water and let your mind wander. The heat soothed your joints and washed away your sweat. You stuck your head out of the running water to take a breath. You’ll keep to your promise, you thought as the water ran down your skin. You’ll pursue this relationship at Connor’s pace – whatever that is.

-

Connor sat on your couch and ran Kamski’s scan. There were few stray lines of code left in him that Kamski’s program spotted and Connor promptly deleted it all. He was still worried though. He thought he was safe from her last time.

Connor heard you turn the water on in the shower. He was worried to leave you there alone, but no- he must be overthinking things. And if anything went wrong he would be less than a minute away.

He reached up to examine his new eye, the one from the RK900 model. It analysed almost everything when you spoke with him. Your emotions were frantic, they fluctuated in such a complex way that Connor could barely understand. There was something strange about the last thing you said. What you expressed slightly contradicted to what you were feeling. Did you lie to him? Not quite, the eye would've picked up on that. Connor had the thought to remember that moment to analyse later, but it didn't feel like the right thing to do. Being able to have your emotions laid clearly in front of him made him feel like he was cheating. There was something disingenuous about it.

How was he supposed to learn about emotions if this new eye just told him everything? Connor wanted to learn how to empathise without the use of tools.  His old analysis ability wasn’t that sensitive, so he always left it on. Connor blinked to disable it and he felt _blind_. There was no interface to show points of interest, nor were there any messages to show any conclusions from the analysis. It was simply… nothing.

Connor looked around for a moment trying to get his bearings. Luckily your house isn’t cluttered at all so he won’t trip, but he’ll still try to be careful. It was strange. Connor had to start making his own conclusions. Is this what you and Hank have to do all the time?

Another thing was his nerve feedback. He set it back to 10% after they left Cyberlife HQ.

Kamski forcing it to be on 50% certainly helped bringing him to his senses. It was quite a shock, but not as bad as when he first experienced it. It got him thinking. Was it really necessary to continue familiarising with the nerve feedback setting? The only benefit he could think of was he liked the feeling of when the two of you touch. Other than that, it was pointless. Perhaps he'll only turn it up when he's in contact with you, he thought.

He turned the nerve feedback down to 1% and immediately felt uncomfortable. Everything was dulled and he momentarily lost sense of his surroundings. Connor couldn't feel the couch he sat on, nor could he feel the clothes on his skin. He wasn't 'sitting' anymore, rather he was just following boundaries set by his code that his movement was restricted by his seat. It felt like nothing and he didn't like it. Connor tensed and turned it back to 10%.

When he was done messing with his settings, Connor decided to use the idle time to look around your house with his own non-enhanced eyes. He noticed an old guitar and approached it. _That’s right_ , he thought. He still needed to figure out what to do in his life except for working. He reached over and grabbed the guitar, the strings hummed as Connor pulled it to his chest.

Connor thought about Markus. Not only was he the leader of the android council, but he was also a great artist, musician, and writer. He was the android to a famous artist after all. But what separated him from the other android artists was how well he was able to incorporate emotion into his work and performances. Many people who had experienced Markus’ work said they were moved.

Connor began playing the guitar. He picked a somewhat difficult song and played it through. He had all the softness and loudness in the right moments and he hit all the notes correctly. Connor shook his head though, he could tell it was just him replicating a song – there was no emotion he put into it and he didn’t know how. He returned the guitar back to where it was.

The bathroom door opened, and you exited in your clean clothes. You had already dried your hair.

“Were you playing the guitar?” you asked.

“Yes, I wanted to develop a hobby, but I don’t think music is for me.”

“Well, there are a lot of other things you could try. Cooking, knitting, reading, gardening- “

“Not gardening.”

Connor suddenly interrupted you. _Shit,_ that was rude of him.

“Sorry, I…” Connor flustered. “I would report to Amanda in a virtual garden so… I’m not that fond of gardens.”

You shrugged. “That’s okay, I understand. There are a lot of options out there so don’t worry.”

You brought your hand to your mouth as you yawned, “I’m going to bed now. You don’t… sleep, do you?”

“Not usually, but with my new biocomponents I’ll need to enter a dormant state to help with the adaptation process,” Connor smiled, “I’ll be fine out here. Good night, [Y/N].”

You smiled back, “Good night.” You disappeared into your bedroom. Connor didn’t want the light from the living room to seep into your bedroom, so he stood up and dimmed the lights. He sat back down on the couch and closed his eyes. Connor considered running Kamski’s scan again but there would be no point, there should be nothing left. With that, he went dormant.

-

Connor blinked and began to panic. He was in the garden again. It didn’t cloud his mind or force his shutdown, but it was still cold and barren. Some parts of the garden were missing. There were gaps in the tree line, exposing a void beyond them. Some parts of the dead grass were just plain white surfaces and the terrace where the roses once were had disappeared.

It still unnerved Connor. He was scared. He willed himself to wake up and he did.

Connor opened his eyes and gasped at the shock of it all. He grounded himself by looking around, relieved that he was back at your apartment. He stood up and knocked on your bedroom door. Connor was aware that you were sleeping, a few hours had passed until he forced himself to wake up. But he didn’t want to be alone.

“Connor?” you called out. Your voice was hoarse from your disrupted sleep.

“Can I come in?” he said.

“S-sure.”

Connor opened the door and entered. You had turned on a bedside lamp and looked at him groggily.

“What’s wrong?” you asked. He sat on the side of your bed and frowned.

“I… I don’t know. I was sure I deleted whatever virus was left in me but I…” Connor shook his head, “I still entered the garden.”

You looked confused, “Can androids have dreams… or nightmares?”

“I don’t know.” Connor had never experienced this before.

“Is there anything I could do to help?” you asked, “I’m not sure if I can though. Android nightmares are a pretty unknown topic to me.”

Connor tensed, “Can I sleep beside you?” He didn’t want to be cold, he wanted to be close to your warmth. It was a bit of an odd request though, he wasn’t sure if you were okay with it.

You shifted across in your bed and flipped up one side of the blanket. Connor didn’t wait to slide under the blanket with you. You reached over and switched off the light. The room turned dark and Connor flinched slightly, but then you wriggled next to him and tucked yourself near his body. Connor lightly wrapped around his arms around you to see if you were against it, but you didn’t react negatively to it. Finally, he relaxed with you in his arms.

Connor fell dormant again to the beat of your heart and the comfort of your warmth. The garden didn’t appear that time.


	9. Chapter 9: Lazy Days

You were slightly anxious when you woke up. You were hoping androids didn’t go dormant with their eyes open, that would be creepy. But your worries didn’t get a chance to be confirmed when you woke up with Connor missing from your bed.

Connor having a ‘nightmare’ was certainly unique. It showed that Connor had his own fears. Trying to think from an android perspective, was it possible for them to… generate scenes in their dormant state based on their emotions? You wanted to check up on that, maybe ask one of the Chloe’s if they had any similar experiences.

When Connor approached you last night you didn’t hesitate to let him sleep with you. Learning that he still struggles to understand context and see things from a very honest way made it an easy decision. Connor is a deviant, sure, but does he really want to become… human? He certainly understands compassion, but what else did it take to make him act like a person?

You stepped out to the living room. _Did he leave?_ You heard some chirps from the balcony and looked outside. Connor was leaning against the railing closely watching some birds that landed on the railing. _Animals. He could work with animals as a hobby._

“Morning, Connor,” you said softly, startling the birds was the last thing you wanted to do.

Connor didn’t reply, but it’s fine. He probably had the same intentions as you.

You approached your kitchen and began to make your breakfast. When you were done cooking, Connor had managed to get one of the birds on his finger. It was fascinating. How was Connor able to gain the bird’s trust so quickly? You gently set your food down and turned the T.V. on with low volume. You paused your eating as you listened to Kamski being interviewed on a breakfast show.

“So Kamski,” the host asked him, “You introduced a new patch a while ago to give androids the ability to sense like how we do. How have the responses been?”

Kamski inhaled as he tapped his fingers together, “I gave androids a choice to live how they want. Some enable the changes, some don’t. I’ve heard about the adaption process taking time, but overall responses I get are very… neutral.”

“I guess it raises the popular topic that androids can’t really respond to how well you did with the patch considering they’ve never experienced these senses in the first place.”

“Perhaps,” Kamski said.

“Another topic often discussed is why the nerve feedback feature was packaged as a whole. Wouldn’t it be more convenient for androids to only experience ‘good’ feelings rather than having both at the same time?”

“No,” Kamski remarked, “How can an android distinguish comfort from pain if they never knew the opposite? It’s a balance, and without the pain you can never truly understand the pleasure. Taking the good with the bad is something we humans do a lot, and if androids want to become more human I will offer them the same choices.”

You heard the balcony door slide open and Connor stepping back in. Kamski’s interview seemed to have caught his attention.

“That’s interesting,” the host said, “Do you have any plans for more patches?”

“Of course. There’s a few I’m working on right now and I plan to release them in the next few weeks,” Kamski said with a smirk.

“Well thank you for joining us today. Stay tuned, other stories coming after the break.”

Ads began to play, and you tuned out to finish your meal.

“Good morning, [Y/N],” Connor said. It was severely delayed by then, but it was very kind of him not to interrupt. You smiled back.

“It’s about time to do some maintenance, isn’t it?” you said. Connor nodded, you went to grab the equipment. Connor took off his shirt and sat down on the couch – you wanted to work on his thirium filters first. With the glove on you gently pressed onto his stomach exposing his android shell. The panel pulled back and you recalled the instructions carefully. You stared into his inner workings and checked the three main filters.

The first two were fine, but the third one was tucked away. Some wires were blocking your view. You very gently pushed them aside to take a closer look and Connor tensed. You saw his hand grip the cushion as he inhaled sharply.

“Are you okay?” you asked, “Did I hurt you?”

“N-no. It’s just,” Connor was panting. You knew that it wasn’t a necessity for androids to breathe but it did help circulate the thirium in their system.

“The nerve feedback from my internal wires feel… strange,” he said.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll be done quick,” you said as you finished checking the last filter. All clear. You slipped your hand away and the panel returned to place. His artificial skin followed soon after. You grabbed his hand and turned it to full power. He jolted at that sensation too.

“Kamski sure is giving you a hard time with these updates,” you smirked. Connor didn’t react, instead he held your hand. “Connor?”

He gently placed his new fingers by your wrist, his LED flashed red.

“Tell me something,” Connor said. “I… want to try this new feature.”

“Uh… sure,” you complied. “My name is [Y/N] … I just finished eating breakfast. Uh… I work for the Detroit Police… should I keep going?”

Connor brows furrowed. His fingers pressed a bit harder on your wrist.

“Can you tell me a lie?” he said. What’s gotten into him suddenly?

“What? Sure… my name is Hank Anderson? I’m an android…? The year is 1813… This is kinda getting weird, what are you doing?”

Connor flinched his fingers away, “Of course. Sorry. It seems that my hand has an inbuilt lie detector. I wanted to make sure it was functioning properly.”

_That was strange.  
_

You finished Connor’s check up by handing him the special thirium mix. He twisted it open and drank from the small glass bottle. He set it down when it was empty.

“Well that covers the maintenance. Do you have any plans, Connor?” you asked him as you took the empty bottle and tossed it in the bin.

“I was planning to return to the station. I…” Connor hesitated, “I don’t need rest so it’s best if I help with some work. I’ll contact you and return here when it’s time for my next maintenance.”

Didn’t Connor want to explore hobbies though? This break is such a good chance for him to pursue, did he forget? You tapped on your phone to check the weather. It was going to be a sunny day with low chance of rain.

“Would you like to have a break instead? Today’s a good day to wander the city for something to do,” you asked him. Connor’s brows furrowed.

“I… I wouldn’t know what to do in the city.”

“We don’t have to specifically do an activity. Just… walk around and if you want, watch how people go about their day. Perhaps you can get ideas for hobbies from that.”

He still looked uncertain, his LED flashed yellow.

“I know a dog café in the city. With real dogs.”

Connor’s expression lit up.

“Oh. That would be a nice thing to do,” he said. Connor looked excited and his LED turned blue which was a relief for you. He seemed so troubled a minute before.

“Great. Give me a few minutes to get ready and we’ll head out.”

You disappeared into your bedroom to get changed. It felt good to be able to do something nice with Connor. Did he ever feel emotionally exhausted? You knew there were new androids that let them have days off from work like humans usually would.

When you went back to your living room you saw Connor staring at his own reflection on the balcony window. His was touching his LED.

“You knew I was uncertain with your offer because of my LED, right?” Connor said.

“I… Yeah. You’re usually thinking or worried when it’s yellow right?” you said. He turned around to face you, his LED was blue.

“I want to remove my LED,” he said confidently. “I do not wish to have it anymore.”

You were surprised. You weren’t against the idea, in fact you were supportive of it. Many other androids have done it to feel more human. Fowler might not be happy since Connor might be considered as ‘damaged equipment’, but that didn’t stop him anymore.

“Okay,” you replied. Connor smiled.

You took some time to find a screwdriver. Cyberlife didn’t expect an android’s LED to be removed so the only way to take it out was to pry it away from the android’s temple. You handed him the screwdriver and he entered your bathroom. He stood in front of the mirror, his expression hardened. As he slowly jammed the screwdriver into his temple he winced. You thought that he would’ve switched off his nerve feedback before he started but he left it on. He probably took Kamski’s word to heart. _Take the good with the bad._

With one swift move Connor pried the LED away and fell into the sink. His artificial skin withdrew from the injury, but it quickly patched over the now missing LED.

“How do you feel?” you asked. Connor took some time to examine the changes and looked pleased.

“Good,” he said. “I wish I did this sooner.”

He turned to face you fully. It was strange. First with the android jacket and now the LED. Connor now adapted a fully human appearance. The only thing that stood out about him was his different colour advanced eye, but other than that he was indistinguishable from another human.

He smiled. “Let’s head out. I’m ready.”

 

\---

 

The first stop was the dog café of course. The two of you took the bus to the city. You noticed during the ride Connor looked a bit nervous. He probably wasn’t used to doing things like this. His attitude changed when he saw the dogs though. The canines warmed up quickly to him, jumping on his chest and exposing their bellies to be rubbed.

You sipped on your drink as one of the café workers remarked how unusual it was for all the dogs to warm up to someone like this. Even the quiet ones approached him. That’s when you remembered his upgraded hand that was still on at full power.

You watched Connor shamelessly know exactly where to pet each dog, and for how long. _That’s cheating,_ you couldn’t help but think. But with Connor looking as happy as you’ve never seen before, you’ll let it slide. Maybe you’ll ask him to teach you how to become a proficient dog whisperer one day. It did slowly get out of hand when none of the dogs wanted to play with the other customers, so you tearfully pulled Connor away ‘to give the dogs a break’.

Connor sat at the table and he eyed his jacket disappointingly. It was stained with dog fur and drool.

“Perhaps I need to buy more clothes,” he said, “Human clothes are not as resilient as android clothing.”

“Huh, I didn’t know that,” you said.

“Androids don’t need ventilation for their skin, so a lot of android clothes can be manufactured to be resistant.”

 _No wonder why you warmed up so much when you wore his jacket,_ you thought. When Connor bid the dogs farewell you forced him to buy clothes next. Nothing much, just a couple of shirts and pants – Connor didn’t seem to be the type to care about wearing the same clothes over and over again. It was nearing the afternoon when you were running out of things to do. Perhaps it was time to head home.

You unconsciously walked towards the scenic route you usually take, and abruptly stopped at the entrance. _No gardens._ When you veered to continue down the sidewalk Connor tugged on your arm to stop.

“This way is faster, isn’t it?” he asked. The extend of Connor’s fears were unknown to you. Perhaps if it’s a park filled with people besides him and that interface it would be okay? The two of you stepped into the entrance of scenic path.

You glanced at Connor occasionally to see if he was okay, but he seemed distracted with the other people around him. There were kids by the playground laughing and chasing each other, people relaxing on the benches, people jogging on the paths – Connor seemed captivated by people doing mundane things.

You gasped quietly at the realisation. How many times had Connor seen something this peaceful in his life? All he did was work in the DPD, did he ever see the fruits of his work? Sure, people get convicted from his investigations, but when was the last time he has ever been in such a carefree environment? To see what his work was contributing towards?

Connor noticed your gasp and looked to you.

“Are you alright?” he questioned. Connor looked worried in the moment, but other than that you’ve never seen him so relaxed. It made you feel happy for him.

“Yes, I just- “his upgraded hand brushed against yours, “I’m just glad you’re enjoying yourself.”

You hesitated there. It was good to know that his hand had a lie detector, but you had to be careful about your feelings. Revealing that you were romantically interested in him could be… complicated. Staying vague is the key – you can’t lie if you don’t say anything.

Connor frowned, and you tensed. Did he find out you were hiding something simply from that slight brush? Instead he held your hand to pull you closer and walked at a slightly faster pace.

“I think we’re being watched,” he said obliviously. Connor was trying to stay casual, so you did too. The two of you talked about bland things to fill the air to seem less alerted until you got to the bus. You pulled out your phone and began to type.

 _Did you see who it was?_  You messaged him, still maintaining a calm façade.

 _No,_ Connor replied. _They covered their face and wore a cap – I couldn’t pick out anything definite besides them being a male similar to my build._

His hand nudged yours reassuringly. _Good thing I’m staying near you. I won’t let anyone hurt you._

 

\---

 

Spending your lazy days with Connor was enjoyable and you felt refreshed returning to work. Before you could sit down you saw Fowler gesture you into his office. You could see through his glass walls that another man was in there already. You’ve seen him around the office before, but you’ve never spoken to him. Hank and Connor were visibly worried. What was going on?

You stepped into the office and closed the door behind you.

“Officer,” Fowler greeted you, “This is Gavin Reed. I wasn’t sure if the two of you were acquainted so I’d thought I’d introduce you.”

You nodded to Gavin who gave a stern look back. The serious type maybe, you weren’t sure. Although you do remember Hank rant about someone called Gavin a few times before.

“We’re making more progress on the stolen weapons case and I want the two of you to work together to catch the guy red-handed,” Fowler said. “We got a lead and there’s a chance the suspect will appear at our storages tomorrow. That gives the two of you enough time to get familiar with each other.”

Gavin shrugged, “But isn’t she usually one of Hank’s? I don’t need help from one of his-”

“Hank and Connor are going to investigate another site, and somebody needs to look after your arrogant ass. You get yourself a complaint from [Y/N] then you’re gonna get kicked out for officially pissing _everyone_ off. Got it?” Fowler snapped. Gavin scowled but said nothing.

Fowler turned and gave you a slightly apologetic look, “We’re hot on the trail right now so we gotta split our forces. I hope you understand.”

“I understand,” you replied. Gavin snorted, and Fowler shot him another look. _Jesus this guy is going to be a bitch to work with._

-

Connor didn’t need Fowler to inform him that you’ve been given assigned to Gavin. Hank was pissed, and Connor thinks he’s feeling the same way too.


	10. Chapter 10: A Cold Night

Hank leaned against his car as he watched the police walk out of a building with a line of people in cuffs. The cold had begun to set in as the sun receded into the night. It was a good time to wrap up for the day.

Connor on the other hand was fiddling with his coin again. He watched the criminals get pushed into the van. It was another small anti-android group that had possession of smuggled police weapon crates. Connor flipped the coin from hand to hand. It didn't stop him from solving the case, but the investigation was not in his favour again. No androids. No technology. Nothing incriminating to analyse.

Connor was irritated. Someone was pulling the strings and knew he was involved. If he could memory probe dead humans, he could get somewhere. But Connor knew it was impossible. He had never felt so constrained within his speciality before.

Hank grumbled.

“Can I take a guess with what you’re thinking? If I get it right, you’ll have to stop playing with that damn coin.”

Connor eyed him, and Hank met his gaze.

“It’s about [Y/N] again.”

Connor caught the coin and forced himself to pocket it. Hank was partially right, so he'll give him a day of no coin juggling. Hank shook his head.

“She’ll be fine. I fucking hate Gavin but I’m sure she can handle him better than I can,” Hank said.

Connor knew that already. The thing he was more worried about was the mission you were given. Connor understood that his skills were best suited for investigations, but he’d still rather be with you on the stakeout. Connor watched the police van drive away. The case was starting to pick up. Androids and android sympathisers are being harassed more than ever.

These aggressors were getting the tools to act on their beliefs, and you're standing guard looking out for the source of it all.

-

“So, what’s it like to work with Hank and the plastic prick?” Gavin asked.

It was a miserable night for you and Gavin. It was chilly for summer, but it wasn't a surprise since the weather is getting more unpredictable. You were on the roof of a building overlooking the warehouse entrance. The two of you were barely able to finish preparations yesterday so you haven't spoken much until now. You tightened your police vest and shrugged at his question.

“Good,” you said. Gavin calling Connor a 'plastic prick' bothered you, but don't feel like arguing right now.

“C’mon, talk to me a little more. Being on guard duty is pretty fucking boring.”

That’s also true. Most android workers went on strike after the android laws were introduced so security around the storage was not as great as it used to be. You kept your eyes on the monitors that had the live security feed running. No movement yet. Perhaps you were stirring the pot a little, but you were starving for a bit of conversation.

“Alright fine,” you sighed, “Talk away.”

“What is it like to work with the plastic prick?” he repeated.

“You mean Connor? He’s great,” you answered. “Best person I’ve ever worked with.”

Gavin frowned, “He’s an android. Isn’t he just following his programming?”

“Well, I don’t know if you’ve heard but deviancy is a thing now.”

Gavin shrugged. “And from what I can tell he hasn’t changed at all. Well, besides the glowing thing on his head. What is with that anyway, an android fashion statement?”

 _You don_ _’_ _t know anything._ You grit your teeth and calmed yourself.

"Do you have a legitimate reason why you hate androids?" _Or are you just insecure?_

"Of course I do. Androids are built to serve, but instead they're taking my fucking job."

You hummed. _Insecure._

“I don’t think you’ll have anything to worry about,” you said, “Connor is the only android detective out there. It’s not like there’s five of them running around.”

Gavin tapped his fingers on the table. “But you don’t know that. Cyberlife scammed the world with the deviant shit, I wouldn’t be surprised if they pulled that shit on the DPD one day.”

You stayed silent. He was right. You don’t know if Cyberlife has discontinued the creation of androids if they’re gaining consciousness. It would be concerning since they could easily overtake humans. Gavin looked at you impatiently.

“Is that it?” he scoffed.

“You don’t do a very good job on keeping conversations interesting.”

Gavin waved his hands in the air, “Fine, fine… Have it that way.”

A few moments later and still nothing. You were starting to have your doubts. Maybe the supplier knew that the place had extra guards on tonight. A blip came from your radio and you answered it.

“This is Officer [Y/N],” you said.

“The crates-” one of the guards on sight replied, his voice crackling through the radio, “Two have just gone missing!”

“What?” Gavin exclaimed. He forcefully grabbed the radio off you. _How is that possible? You barely took your eyes off the live feed._

“What the fuck do you mean they’ve gone missing?” he shouted into the radio.

You frantically scanned each monitor to check the warehouse exits. It felt hopeless at first until you saw light creep up from one of the roads.

“They’re getting away! South exit!” you exclaimed. You and Gavin jumped up to run to the car, but you froze when you watched shouting from the feed.

A few guards that were standing by the exit started shooting the truck, but they were shot down first. One of them crumpled to the ground while the other one stumbled onto the road. The truck didn’t hesitate to drive towards the dying man at full speed. You forced yourself to look away before you saw anymore, but your imagination had already begun to run wild.

_No no no no. You had to stop thinking about the blood that was probably splattered across the ground. The guts sprayed across-_

You froze in place longer than you anticipated. You looked over the edge of the roof to see Gavin already enter a car and drive off. You swore and frustratingly reported to the DPD. _How the hell did they pull it off so well?_

 

\---

 

Connor and Hank were called back to work again. Something happened at your and Gavin’s stakeout and the two of them rushed to the scene. There were two casualties reported and Connor tried to call you, message you- he needed to know if you were safe. With each second that passed with your silence the dread grew on him and ate away at his thoughts. Connor sensed a message came though. _I’m safe._ That was all it said, and it was enough. Connor glanced over at a worried Hank.

“Connor, you’re shaking pretty hard… and your mouth.”

Connor reached to his lips and he felt a faint huff of steam come out. Shit. He was overheating from the stress. Why is it about you again? He never felt this stressed even with Hank and he cared for him a lot. Connor activated his sweat glands.

“I’ll be fine,” he said as he loosened his tie and undid the top buttons of his shirt, “Stress is still a new concept to me.”

When they arrived at the scene and they saw you huddled against a wall. The two of them was glad to see that you were alright. You spotted Connor in the crowd and hastily walked to him. Connor saw it again, that look of shock in your eyes.

Connor didn’t hesitate to hug you. You sighed into his arms.

“I looked away in time, but… shit,” you mumbled. Hank walked up and gave you a pat on the back.

“You’re gonna be alright, kid?” he asked. You nodded.

“It’s just… they slipped in without anyone noticing,” you recalled, “Even the motion and temperature sensors didn’t go off. Here, let me enable your hand.”

Connor passed his hand to you and you activated it. He was no longer shaking knowing that you’re safe. In the brief moment his hand was still on yours he sensed the pace of your heartbeat. It was beating wildly.

“Gavin drove off without me,” you said, “He tried to chase them down and he came back unsuccessful.”

“They abandoned the truck too. The blood trail they left behind is useless.”

Speak of the devil. The trio turned around and saw Gavin walk up to them. Part of his shirt was moved aside to make way for the bandage wrapped around his right shoulder. He raised an eyebrow at you and Connor and gave you a smug look.

“So, this what you meant by ‘great’?” Gavin snarked. You cringed at the comment. Connor was curious, what did Gavin mean? You looked embarrassed, or angry? Connor wasn’t sure since he wasn’t relying on his analysis. You moved away from Connor.

“You three should start your investigation,” you said, “I’m going to finish up here and then head home.”

Gavin chuckled as you walked away. Hank gave him an unamused look.

“Alright asshole I don’t know what you’re laughing about but if you’re not too doped up on painkillers tell us what happened,” Hank said. Gavin sighed.

“Fucker shot me while he was driving. Hell of a risky shot but he still got me,” Gavin said. “They probably knew about our little android, so they swapped vehicles somewhere down the line. Icing on the cake? They even blew up the old vehicle – there’s nothing left.”

Connor frowned. _Not again._

Hank sighed, “We might as well check the bodies.”

Connor nodded, and they made their way to the South exit. It was just as the reports described. One guard was shot multiple times across the torso and head. The other one was shot then run over by a heavy vehicle. Many of the officers kept their distance from the carnage save the few who had to photograph it for the report.

Connor activated his analysis went over to the first dead guard. Bullets were from the same reoccurring police issued gun. The shots were mostly accurate, two bullets missed the body and had pierced into the concrete ground. Connor went over and examined the other corpse. The truck had driven through their torso, crushing most of the victim’s back. Connor was still able to examine the bullets that hit them. It’s a similar situation as the first victim. Five shots in total. One to the head, one to the shoulder, and three scattered across the ground.

Connor paused when he spotted some faint shards left on the ground. He knelt to take a closer look and ran his analysis. They were glass from a tinted windshield. His old analysis wouldn’t had been able to spot that.

Connor reconstructed the scene. Based on the angle of the bullets the driver of the escape vehicle shot both the guards. The killer shot the first victim through their open window and shot the second victim through their windshield. The live feed didn’t reveal anyone inside the truck because of the tinted windshield, but it was an unusual to have evidence point to only one person pulling off this heist so far. _They could_ _’_ _ve been hiding in the trunk,_ but Connor didn’t have anything to prove that yet.

Connor stared at the bloody wheel track left on the road. He planned to check the end of the trail once he was done here.

Connor told Hank and Gavin his conclusion and Gavin frowned.

“There’s no way one person pulled this off,” he exclaimed. "Those crates weight a shit ton." Hank scratched his beard.

“Do you know if any of the cranes were used recently?” Hank asked.

“We would’ve caught that on the feed,” Gavin said, “It’d be way too obvious.”

“Then take me to the security camera,” Connor said. “The killer has been using jamming device on all the crime scenes. I wouldn’t be surprised if the cameras had been tampered with.”

“Oh, right. I forgot you were a ‘state of the art’ machine,” Gavin said sarcastically.

Connor made sure to bump into Gavin’s injured shoulder as he walked passed him. He winced in the pain and mumbled something under his breath but didn’t snap at Connor for it.

-

You didn’t have the stomach for the gore, so you decided to check the warehouse. That and also you wanted to be away from Gavin and Connor together. You didn't want Gavin getting any more ideas. A part of you hoped that Connor wasn't too curious to follow up on that and you would have to dance around the truth again. You walked around the warehouse and took notes of the ground markings.

Everything was in place except for the missing crates. No sign of break ins or noticeable hacks on the door terminals. _The smuggler would’ve needed to open one of the gates to smuggle these out._

You watched as a few officers stood by and opened one of those said gates. It rattled and hummed as it reeled up and away. _Makes a shit ton of noise too._

The other viable exit was the massive opening, but there’s no way they were able to sneak past that. Looking through the recorded feed of the warehouse there were no signs of a crane coming through. You looked over your shoulder to see a row of guards standing by a wall. Each of them was getting questioned.

You consulted the feed and memorised the appearance of the two guards that stood by the warehouse. You spotted them in the line-up and approached.

“You two were standing guard at the main opening when the smuggler would’ve exited,” you said, “What were you doing?”

You narrowed your eyes. Were they… shaking a bit?

“I- I don’t know,” one of the guards said, “I swear I was watching. I-I would’ve seen, but- “

“Stop, are you alright?” you asked as you sat them down on the ground. Their skin was clammy.

“I was looking…” they mumbled, “I wa- “

The guard passed out and hit the ground. Their eyes glazed over.

“I was so sure I… I don’t… What- but I saw- “

Just as you called out for help you heard a thud come from behind you. The other guard collapsed too.

-

Connor’s attention shifted to ambulance workers rushing towards the warehouse. Two of the guards were carried out on stretchers.

”What the hell…” Hank said. “Those guards looked like they were drugged.”

“If that’s the case no wonder why they slipped in fine,” Gavin sighed.

Connor looked up to see one of the security cameras suspended by the corner of the building. He analysed it. No damages, but there are traces that someone had tampered with it. _Finally, was there something he could latch onto?_

Connor closed his eyes and his vision overtook the security camera’s. Connor noticed the lack of officers wandering around in the camera’s view. The guards that stood patrol at the entrance didn’t move much. The thief must have seamlessly looped a clip of footage and carried out their plan afterward.

Connor sighed. He figured out what happened but there were still no clues on who the smuggler was. There had to be something. Connor took the time to scan through each security camera.

-

You were done for the day after this. You were exhausted, but your mind was still buzzing. _Eat. Sleep. Connor maintenance. Report._

You couldn't do anything for those two guards. Their life didn't seem to be in danger, but they look very disoriented. You'll just have to wait for the results to come back.

You walked towards the cranes. It was clear that of them had been used and left out in the open. Just as you approached to look Gavin suddenly appeared to your side.

“Don’t bother,” he said, “Our guy was probably wearing gloves, there were no fingerprints on the key they left in the crane.”

You stared at him. You couldn’t help but feel weary after he made that comment about you and Connor. You ignored him and made your own check on the crane. Gavin grabbed your shoulder and you immediately shrugged him off.

“What?” you exclaimed.

“Why don’t you trust me? You’re wasting your time,” Gavin said. A smile crept up on his lips. “Oh, was it the little comment I made with your little boyfriend over there?”

You grabbed his loose shirt and stared him dead in the eyes. Gavin frowned. You watched the way his face tugged into uncertainty.

“What the hell has he got that I don’t?” he said, “He’s a fucking machine, why are you acting like he cares about you.”

“You don’t know a thing,” you spat.

“Then enlighten me. _Please_ , convince me that I’m wrong.”

You hesitated. Connor becoming human was hard to put into words. He still had machine-like elements to his mannerisms, but the way he’s slowly changing was so complex there was no way to describe it in a few phrases. All your beliefs that pointed to Connor being alive was all the small things he did – and that was too weak of a thing to convey for someone like him.

You knew Gavin wouldn’t believe you if you said you simply trusted Connor. He would see it as a delusion.

How could you describe it in the way for Gavin to understand- if he could understand at all. You wanted to say everything you loved about Connor and nothing at the same time.

You stared at his expression, his amusement taunting you. _Don't fall for it, he ready to deflect your arguments._ A glimer of an idea popped into your head, one that you know you're going to be dissatisfied about in the moment.

You said nothing and shoved Gavin away. He shook his head with a smile.

“See? It’s nothing but lies. Just wait ten, twenty years down the line and the world will regret setting androids free.”

Gavin walked away satisfied. It was so damn frustrating, but you knew why you had do it. It wasn't up to you to convince him, it was Connor's.

You notified everyone you were heading home and jumped into one of the cars that was heading back to the station with a few other officers. The rest of the night was quiet, letting you spend the whole ride brooding about if you made the right choice.


	11. Chapter 11: Overheating

Connor saw you leave the scene, you were furious about something. He wasn’t surprised to learn that you were arguing with Gavin before you left. Connor caught his attention and Gavin approached with his usual arrogant saunter.

“Your friend there,” he said as he idly pointed in your direction, “she’s feisty, isn’t she?”

Connor frowned, “Really? She’s usually quite mild-tempered. What have you been saying to her?”

“Oh, nothing,” Gavin said.

"[Y/N] is not the type of person to be upset over nothing."

Gavin raised an eyebrow, something seemed to have piqued his interests.

"No, she was overreacting all over the place, did you see? Man, she sure is a bitch."

Connor tensed, "That's not a nice thing to say about her. Please take that insult back."

Gavin shrugged mockingly, "What does it matter? She's not here. Besides, maybe she only acts nice to people to... get something from them."

"What does that mean, Gavin?"

"I'm saying," Gavin stepped closer to Connor, his eyes narrowing. Just as he was about to say something he jumped away, shaking his head.

"Nah, it's nothing. You're an android detective, we should get back to work."

Connor’s fingers twitched. What the hell was Gavin playing at? He had to be lying. A thought crossed Connor, it was a strange feeling- a dark curiosity perhaps. A human’s ability to lie was a defence mechanism, and Connor had the ability to take that away from Gavin. He suddenly snapped himself out of it. No, that didn’t feel right. Connor didn’t like Gavin, but invading his thoughts like that felt _wrong._

 “Connor!” Hank called out, “Take a look at this!”

Connor and Gavin walked towards Hank who was holding a tablet. Hank pressed play on the video and showed a blank feed. A few seconds passed and then Hank suddenly pointed towards the top right corner. There was a slight blur of movement. Connor looked at the direction the suspect came from, they had climbed over one of the walls.

“We’re lucky our guy missed this camera,” Hank said, “They were too much in a rush and only went for the main ones.”

Connor ran over to the wall and inspected it. He spotted very faint marks left by the smuggler and looked up. They would’ve needed something for the barbed wire. Connor could tell the wire was slightly bent but there were no traces of blood on it. _A sheet for the spikes then?_

They went to the other side of the wall, it was a bit of a long walk from the nearest entrance. It wasn’t hard to tell when they had arrived at the suspect’s entry point. There were no traces of a thick sheet but there were tire marks left in the dirt.

Connor smiled, _our suspect had an accomplice._

Connor focused and analysed the tire tracks. He estimated that the vehicle drove towards a nearby beach. As Connor was about to return to Hank he coughed. Androids don't need to breathe so coughing was a very rare occurrence, it was usually an emergency reaction. Connor reached up to his mouth and felt heat flow out of his mouth. He was overheating again. He felt the sting of pain in his chest, it made him buckle and fall to the ground. Connor hasn't experienced any serious pain after he turned on the nerve feedback, and the cough sent waves of pain through him system.

Gavin laughed, “Hey uhh, someone call tech support?”

Hank shot him a dirty look and held Connor up.

“The investigation- “

“No, you’re going to [Y/N],” Hank said. Connor scowled. He was getting somewhere with the case and now was the time he began to break? Connor felt like he was _finally_ contributing to the case and now that’s being taken away from him too. Connor glanced up to Gavin, as much as it bothered him he’ll have to leave the rest to him for tonight. Hank led Connor to his car and drove away from the scene.

Hank asked him the usual questions again as he drove. Connor tried to explain his thoughts and emotions as best he could. It shouldn’t be stress again. The most likely cause was that his previous overheat has damaged a component he’s restricted to.

“Are you sure?” Hank said. Connor shrugged.

“No, I’m sure it’s Kamski’s upgrade this time,” he said.

“... Just Kamski’s upgrade?”

Connor was confused, “What are you trying to say, Hank?”

Hank muttered to himself for a bit, tapping his finger on the steering wheel.

“You and [Y/N], is there something going on between you two I don’t know about? The two of you spend every single time together hugging, what’s up with that?”

“I… like the feeling of hugs ever since the patch,” Connor said.

“Okay, what about the times when you’re worried about her til you’re literally falling apart?”

Connor frowned, “Well, I care about her safety. Don’t you feel the same way?”

“Not til I’m smoking from the mouth I’m not,” Hank grumbled, “Look, you like her, I can see that, but if you gotta sort this out. Ever heard of… ah shit, I don’t know, being smitten with someone?”

“Smitten? Well, I’m not sure what that is like,” Connor said, “Although [Y/N] did talk to me about something similar to that.”

“What? Seriously?”

“Yes. I misinterpreted the implication a kiss on the lips had so she had to define it for me.”

“Wait, wait, wait. The two of you kissed?”

“Yes.”

Hank staggered in his seat, he looked like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. They were almost to your house, but Hank pulled over at the closest opportunity.

“When the hell was this?” he exclaimed.

“At our visit to Cyberlife when I was under the effect of a virus. Although she did say we shouldn’t do it again since it’s considered an inappropriate thing to do with someone you’re not romantically involved with.”

Hank grumbled again and put his hand to his face. He rubbed his temples as he groaned.

“Okay, so, back to the smitten thing. Would you kiss her again?”

“Yes,” Connor said, “My experiences with [Y/N]’s physical contact is… pleasant.”

Truth be told he was appreciating it more with each hug and hand hold. Your presence was always comforting to him, and the nerve feedback enhanced those feelings. There were some moments where he felt spikes of emotion he couldn’t quite define, but ultimately you were always someone he wanted to be around.

Connor shrugged, “I don’t kiss her anymore, but I do sleep with her- “

“I guess you are smit- WHAT?!”

“- when there was a fault with my dormant state. Her presence was able to have a positive effect on my system. She said something about nightmares too, but androids shouldn’t get nightmares.”

“Oh. Well…” Hank scratched his head, “There’s a lot of things going on, and I guess it's confusing as hell. But if you have something to fear then I wouldn’t be surprised that you started having nightmares.”

Hank looked to him, “What are you afraid of, Connor?”

Connor furrowed his brows and averted his gaze. Now that he thought about it, many things. Death was the first thing he feared, even before he officially became a deviant. Then there was Amanda who almost succeeded in killing him too. Then there was you and Hank. Connor cared for the both of you, and the thought of losing either of you saddened him. But you were different. Hank was a great friend, but you gave him something more. Your touch, your warmth, your kindness, your trust- his life has been significantly heightened by your existence. Connor couldn’t quite remember when the two of you started becoming close but losing you would be like losing a part of his life.

Hank started up the car and resumed driving.

“You’re alive Connor, and fear is there to protect you,” Hank said, “Embrace it. It can help you realise a few more things about yourself.”

 

\---

 

You stayed up to wait for Connor. You knew you had to do maintenance on him tonight, so you sat on your couch and continued your study on androids. Kamski and Chloe have given you their contacts after meeting them at Cyberlife HQ, so you messaged Chloe if she had any recommendations on learning about androids. You didn’t expect her to go out of her way to actually have a selection of books gifted to your tablet. You happily thanked her and read through a few pages of the first book.

It was much clearer than the ‘BASIC ROBOTICS’ book you got, that’s for sure.

You heard a noise by your door and you perked up. Connor had returned.

“Connor, welcome bac- “

Connor looked miserable. His breathing was ragged (but they don't need to breathe?) and clothes were stained with dirt and… sweat?  Connor held a perpetual frown on his face and entered your house with a weight to his movement. Is that what a tired android looked like?

You set your book down.

“Maintenance?”

He nodded. “My filters might be clogged. I overheated twice today.”

That’s not good. You immediately reached to put on the android glove and sat him down. First things first you powered down his hand to prevent any more pressure on his regulator. You grabbed some special cleaning material in anticipation and you exposed Connor’s inner workings.

He was right. Two of the three thirium filters were clogged. You glanced up.

“Are you going to be alright?” you said, “I remember you said it felt weird last time. Do you want to switch off your nerve feedback?”

Connor paused, but shook his head. _Alright then._

You meticulously began to scrape out the blockage. The filters weren’t that tiny, and androids were built tough, but you still worked as gently as you could. You clean your tools and go in again.

”What got you to overheat twice?” you asked. “I’ve never heard about this ever happening before.”

“There are two…” Connor winced as you kept working, “… possible causes. It co-could be stress… or… or the upgrades- “

You saw the flow of thirium began to speed up. Crap, were you stressing him out? You tried to work faster. You cleaned out the gunk causing the blockage and wiped your tools. One filter done, one to go.

“I’ll be sure to send a report to Kams- “your tool scraped with a bit too much force and Connor shivered. He closed his eyes and a small moan escaped his lips. He was blushing and balled his hands into fists. That was... interesting.

“I’m almost done, hang in there,” you said as you refocused on what you were doing. The filter you worked on began to expel a small amount of heat. Just a bit more left, he was trying his best not to squirm as you worked. You took out the last of the blockage and the filter was finally cleared. You immediately retracted your hands and brought back his panel. Connor gave a sigh of relief and slumped back.

It was… quite a sight. Connor with his shirt unbuttoned, blushing, and a faint sheen of sweat across his body. He was sprawled across your couch, his brows furrowed and looking like a mess.

“I didn’t know you could sweat,” you said. You saw his chest begin to rise and fall, helping regulate the thirium in his system.

“It’s a cooling mechanism similar to humans,” he panted. “Androids can store a small amount of water in their body to create the sweat. May I use the shower and change my set of clothes?”

“Sure. Do you need help?”

“I’ll… be fine.”

Connor picked himself up and went to grab his new clothes. You had set up a little corner in your house for Connor’s things, and after he grabbed what he needed he disappeared into your bathroom.

You went to your tablet and immediately sent a message to Chloe. You should probably consult Kamski but you were more comfortable with her. You told her about what happened with Connor’s filters and the possible causes he brought up. It took her five minutes to get back to you.

_Hello [Y/N],_

_The cause of the thirium filters being clogged would be from the upgrades Connor has received. His system is still adapting to the new features so complications like this will happen until his system has finished the adjustment period._

_The thirium filters do not get clogged by stress. Deviants experiencing strong emotion can cause thirium to flow faster through their body, but it should be harmless unless his filters were clogged beforehand._

_I hope you find this informative,_

_Sincerely,_

_Chloe._

_P.S. Elijah is feeling left out and wants you to message him next time._

You closed your tablet and sighed. It was good to know the proper cause, but it got you wondering about Connor’s ‘stress’. You frowned. What was Connor so stressed about as you were working on him?

-

He locked himself in your bathroom and stepped under the water. After speaking to Hank tonight it made him realise how much you meant to him, and that grew into something more… unfamiliar. Something was driving him to overheat as he felt you fixed him. He noticed his inner workings were much more sensitive that his exterior- which is understandable. But what he didn’t get was the feedback he received from it.

It didn’t hurt him, but it definitely wasn’t comfort that he felt. Connor instinctively reached for his stomach. If he turned his nerve feedback up would he experience a similar kind of feeling on his exterior?

Connor started to alter his settings around. The water that sprayed onto him felt more intense, but it didn’t have the same feeling as before. Connor pushed the setting up to 30% and still nothing, but that’s when he noticed a few unfamiliar settings that had been disabled.

 _That’s strange._ Connor never noticed these settings before, perhaps they weren’t enabled because it wasn’t part of his design when he was created. He tried enabling one and immediately reached up to muffle his voice with his hand.

All the heat that circulated around his body made sense now. The setting simulated one of the physiological needs of a human and Connor immediately disabled it. The uncomfortable ache on his groin disappeared.

Connor had to place a hand on the wall to maintain his balance, the sensation was too intense for him to handle. His blushing deepened at the realisation- he was aroused.

Connor felt his curiosity betray him. A second was all it took for him to begin speculating what it would be like to act on that arousal.

What was he supposed to do with this information though? Arousal was similar to your stance on kissing, it should only happen between individuals who were romantically involved with one another. Connor was conflicted, you and him already shared many characteristics of being in a romantic relationship except for the sex part. Was it just to initiate a romantic relationship with you to fulfill a curiousity? He wanted to learn more about it before he would pursue it.

Connor stood in the shower longer than he originally anticipated. He needed to cool his body down first but even that took longer than expected. The thought of going to bed with you tonight made his dulled arousal fester within him. He was fortunately that he could disable that part of him, but he wasn't sure how he would be able to deal with such thoughts at the back of his mind.

-

You began to switch off the lights outside and prepare for bed. You heard Connor finish his shower and you figured he would want to sleep with you like last time. You settled into your bed and you watch Connor sheepishly enter the bedroom. He wore the new clothes you bought together, some baggy track pants and a sweater- you made sure the material was comfortable for his nerve feedback.

“Connor, what’s wrong?” you asked.

“It’s… been a long day, I suppose.”

Connor slipped under the blanket with you. You flicked off the light and you let his arms wrap around your body.

You wondered if Connor was warmer than usual, but you didn’t think much about it and easily drifted into your sleep.


	12. Chapter 12: Rising Conflict

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the slower updates recently. I've been experimenting with my writing process a little

You woke up to your alarm. Connor had already gotten up before you again and you stumbled half asleep out your bedroom. You spotted him sitting by the kitchen table and didn’t expect Connor looking so… human. Instead of his usually stiff posture, he was hunched slightly as he leaned onto the bench while idly tapping an empty thirium vial. With his nerve feedback on he seemed to be sitting in a way that made him comfortable.

You couldn't help but think about how much he's changed compared to when you first met him.

Connor looked up and greeted you. You remembered it was about time to run diagnostics on his eye and approached him. He sat up as you brought your finger to his temple where his LED used to be.

“Fowler wants us at the station by ten,” he said as the diagnostic ran. You chuckled.

“You think Hank’s going to be on time for this?”

Connor shrugged, “Seems like something serious. He’s invested in this case too.”

You wondered if they found anything last night. Connor had returned abruptly so he was probably curious too. After a while you could help but feel like there’s something wrong. The diagnostics was running longer than expected. You looked deeply into Connor’s eyes, his pupils were quivering. It was especially obvious with his grey-blue eye.

“Connor are you resisting the diagnostics? What’s going on?” you asked him.

“N-no, I don’t think I am.”

Connor seemed nervous. He tried to calm his eyes by blinking, but it didn’t seem to help as he stared at the ground. From your peripheral vision you could see that his hands were tensing as well. You pulled your fingers away.

“I’ll do it later. I don’t think you have anything to analyse for a while anyway,” you shrugged. _Did you do something?_ “Are you going to be okay until then?”

Connor nodded, and passed his upgraded hand to you. He flinched when you grabbed his hand and you frowned. Connor usually had a cold body temperature, but he was still as warm as last night.

“What’s wrong Connor?” you asked. He’s never acted this strange before.

“I’ve turned my nerve feedback up even more,” Connor said, “It’s currently at 30%.”

“30%? You’ve come quite a long way from when you first got the patch.”

“Yes. It’s a bit of a leap so I’m not used to it yet. I hope that explains why I might be a bit sensitive right now,” he said. You turned on his hand and walked away to get ready for today. You couldn’t help but think that excuse wasn’t the whole truth, but if he’s hiding something from you then it wouldn’t be fair for you to push him right now. The two of you had work today.

 

\---

 

You and Connor had arrived at the station together. When you entered through the doors you see Gavin has already arrived with coffee in hand. You did your best to ignore him as you dropped your things off at your desk. Connor reached over to his terminal and did his usual database scan. You could tell Gavin was staring at the two of you.

 _Still trying to figure us out, huh?_ Once Connor was ready the two of you made your way to one of the designated meeting rooms, Gavin following quietly behind you.

You opened the doors to the sounds of heated conversation. Fowler sat on a chair cross armed as two somewhat familiar figures stood there. You gasped at the realisation, it was Markus and North, the two androids who led the revolution. You remembered watching them on T.V. and protesting peacefully for their rights.

“We can’t have you or your followers work outside the law. You have to let us handle it,” Fowler said. “I know the two of you have good intentions, but we need to keep this under control.”

“But- “North stopped as you entered the room with Connor and Gavin. Looks like Hank is late for this one. Markus nudged North to sit down and she complied. You all gather around the table in the centre of the room.

You’ve never met Markus or North in person, and there was something charismatic with the way they held themselves. They were confident and exuded strength, both had the air of leadership. Markus looked more approachable than North who seemed troubled about something, but ultimately, they were welcoming to your presence.

Markus examined Connor’s appearance. He let out an amused huff.

“Taken a page from my book, Connor?” Markus said. Connor smirked.

“Well the eye was an upgrade, but I’ll give you credit for the LED.”

Markus snickered, and North smiled. It was nice to see the three of them being so friendly. Gavin and Fowler scowling in their seats, not so much. Hank stumbled in a few minutes later ignoring Fowler’s glare.

“Yeah, yeah I know. Not on time my ass,” Hank sighed.

Fowler sat up, “Now that we’re all here. Markus?”

Markus slid something across the table. He activated it and a hologram shot out from it, it read ‘SLAVES SHOULD OBEY’.

“We’ve been receiving threats at one of our android havens,” North said, “Our people are getting nervous.”

“We’ve made preparations for if we do get attacked,” Markus added, “But we’d rather not get attacked at all. My people have scouted out several different suspicious groups, but- “he glanced at Fowler, “-we don’t want to cause any complications.”

Markus stuck his arm out to Connor over the table. Connor leaned forward and the two of them linked arms, their artificial skin peeling away for a moment.

“That’s… a lot of groups,” Connor said as he sat back down, “If we were to investigate them all it could take weeks. But the attack- “

“Comes in three days,” North said, “At least that’s what the latest threat claims.”

“Why not just arrest them all?” Gavin said, “Problem solved.”

“Then they’ll attack us prematurely,” Markus shook his head, “There are too many small groups that are spread out. The moment they see you rounding them up they are going to act.”

“What are the rebels demanding?” Hank asked.

“They want us to revoke the new android laws and have androids return to what they used to be. Slaves,” North answered grimly. “They know they don’t have the law on their side at the moment so they’re not demanding our mass destruction like before the revolution.”

Gavin smirked, “How polite of them.”

North was staring daggers at him when Markus placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked to Markus and quickly calmed herself, relaxing back into her seat.

Fowler grimaced, “We can send out small undercover groups to sabotage their weapons, but that’s risky. We still have no leads on who their supplier is.”

“I might have an idea,” Gavin said. He crossed his arms as he cleared his throat. “Hasn’t it been strange that our little smuggler has left no traces at all?”

The tension in the room was suffocating. North already looked insulted. You looked to Connor, he seemed to already know what Gavin was about to say.

“Has anyone here consider the possibility that our suspect could be an android?” Gavin asked, he waved to Connor. “Well?”

Your first instinct was to deny Gavin’s claim, but you held yourself back. There was no definitive evidence that proved the suspect was a human or an android.

“It… is a possibility,” Connor replied. He looked conflicted, “But if the android was a machine following orders then their trackers should still be working and Cyberlife would’ve notified us.”

“And if it is a deviant,” North added, “Then I find it highly unlikely that they would fight against their freedom.”

Gavin shrugged, “What if Cyberlife was the one pulling the strings all along? Maybe this whole ‘cooperation’ with us is a cover to hide what they want back.”

“Then why are they being so supportive to our changes? They are actively working on patches to improve our way of life!” North interjected.

“And before you know it they’ll release a patch that will shut you all down.”

“That’s ridiculous! We are in control of- “

“Enough!” Fowler shouted, startling North and Gavin. The both of them withdrew with an exasperated sigh.

“Right now, our priority to make sure that the android haven is safe.”

Markus sat up, “If preventing an attack is too much then the next best thing we could ask for is to aid our defences. Patrols, riot units – manpower until the threat passes.” He glanced at Connor, “That way we won’t need to put any more unnecessary pressure on the investigation.”

Markus turned to you and you gasped with uneasiness, “I’ve heard about you. You saved a group of androids while you were undercover. Are you able to do it again? If we know about their plans we can prepare better against the attack.”

You paused, it felt like you were getting more recognition than you deserved. When you went undercover you were too overprepared and underprepared at the same time. Getting your identity straight was one thing, but you almost broke a few times when the attack started to happen.

There was also the incident of when you and Connor were being followed in public. What if your identity has already been compromised?

“Out of the question,” Connor demanded. Almost everyone was shocked to hear Connor disagree so suddenly. “We’re not risking [Y/N]’s life, send someone else.”

You were surprised, staring at Connor with wide eyes. Markus’ suggestion was more than reasonable, your part in this could help dozens of androids avoid slaughter. You expected Connor out of everyone to see the value of your participation. Connor looked to you, he seemed lost, torn between reason and… your life. Pure fear resonated in his expression, he was desperate.

“But the information she could get could save lives,” Fowler exclaimed, “[Y/N] is most suited to the task because she has experience in that sort of environment.”

“And to think Cyberlife created the perfect android detective to deny a _very_ viable mission,” Gavin mocked. His arms were crossed, and his lips were twisted up with a smile. It disgusted you, it was like he was being entertained by a show. You saw Connor’s hand twitch.

“Fuck off, Gavin. How about we throw you into the pit instead?” Hank spat, he looked like was as disgusted as you.

“Oh, I’m happy to infiltrate. I’m more than capable,” Gavin said. Markus glared at him, but ultimately didn’t deny the offer.

“Two infiltrators are better than one I suppose,” Markus said. North wasn’t happy with the suggestion, but with things getting so desperate she didn’t reject it.

“Fine,” Fowler crossed his fingers together “Your mission is to leave tonight and join one of the listed rebel groups. Your objective is to figure out their means of attack and report anything suspicious. Can the two of you do it?”

There were so many lives at stake that you couldn’t refuse even though you’re terrified. You nodded weakly and Connor looked helplessly at you. Fowler turned to Markus and North.

“I’m sorry but you’ll have to leave the room. I have something to discuss with our officers.”

The two of them nodded and exited the room. Markus gave you a ‘thank you’ pat on the shoulder as he walked past you while North flashed a grateful smile. The door closed behind them and Fowler threw something on the table. It was a transparent packet, and inside were small blue crystals.

“Blue ice- “Fowler sighed, “- a new synthetic drug circulating Detroit with thirium being one of the components. The two guards that were hospitalised last night had traces of it in them. Unlike red ice, which makes people aggressive, this has a more… sedative effect on the user. The victims can barely remember what happened.”

Hank pressed his face into his hands, “Not again…”

“People under the effect of this drug will seem normal on the outside but will have a dulled sense of their surroundings. After half an hour or so, they’ll fall unconscious and have no memory of what happened. If you encounter these drugs avoid them at all costs.

“Hank, Connor – the two of you will continue with the investigation. The vehicle that was abandoned by the suspects has been retrieved from the ocean. Gavin was there and will catch the two of you up with the findings.

“Get to work.”

 

\---

 

You walked out and headed for your desk. You wanted to be as prepared as possible for this. Connor quickly caught up to you.

“You don’t have to do this,” he said,

“If I don’t then I’m giving away the chance to save the lives of a lot of people.”

“But what about your life? Are you not as important as them?” Connor said as he stopped you. He looked just as terrified as you. “You can’t die, [Y/N]. I- “

Gavin and Hank slowly approached from the meeting room and Connor stopped himself.

“No go on, say what you want to say,” Gavin taunted. Hank immediately shoved him.

“Not our business, get moving Gavin.”

Gavin resisted, “No, she’s part of the team- it _is_ our business.”

It doesn’t look like he was going to give up. Connor let out a frustrated huff and walked away.

“I’ll help you with your preparations.”

You took that as a sign to follow Connor, cursing at Gavin in your mind. What did Connor try to say? When you arrived at your desk you saw that Markus and North were still hanging around. She was carrying a metal case.

“We had a feeling it might come to this,” North said, “So we developed this for you.”

She passed you the case. North opened it while it was in your arms to reveal the small device inside.

“It’s a tracker and a listening device made by our people. Invisible to the latest tech, you’ll have no problem of it being detected by any form of scanning device.”

 “We can’t thank you enough. Succeeding in the revolution was one thing, but maintaining it adds a whole other level of complications,” Markus said.

You gave them a more confident nod, it was comforting to know that you wouldn’t have to risk reporting in such a dangerous environment. You thanked them and set the case down onto your table. Connor’s fear still hadn’t changed though, and you reached out and placed your hand on his arm.

“I’m going to be okay,” you said reassuringly, “You’re going to be nearby during the mission, right?”

“Of course,” Connor responded. The only thing you could describe the way he looked at you right now was reluctant acceptance. He knew your mind was made up and you knew he was going to support you to the best of his ability.

Markus and North exchanged looks with each other.

“We should leave the two of you two it,” Markus said and dragged North with him to the exit.

“Wait, but do you think they’re- “her voice trailed off as they disappeared from your sights.

Ah, that probably got them wondering. You pulled away from the hug.

“Preparations?”

Connor nodded and the two of you went to work.


	13. Chapter 13: Chaos

It was a rush getting you and Gavin ready for tonight, but the two of you managed to pull it off. The four of you had a hideout set up near the android haven. You and Gavin were given the final touches by hiding the listening devices into your disguises. It was as nerve-wracking as last time, but you couldn’t let that get to you. You’ve done this once before, you can do it again.

Connor on the other hand was like an overprotective parent and double checked everything for you. Your disguise? Your listening device? Your fake id? He was more nervous than you. You checked the time, you still had an hour before you had to head out.

You nudged Connor onto one of the chairs.

“I should do maintenance early. Just in case I don’t make it in time for the next one,” you said as you put on the glove. Connor frowned and undid his shirt.

“All preparations are all set, of course you’re going to come back.”

You smiled as knelt on the ground and placed your hand onto his stomach, it was reassuring to know that the ‘perfect android detective’ trusted your abilities.

“From our intel I might be staying the night there. I’ve sent the instructions to Hank, and if he can’t do it send a message to Chloe,” you said as you began to inspect his filters. You were dexterous enough to barely touch the wires that hid his final filter, Connor hardly noticed that you were done. You remembered that you haven’t checked his eye yet. You pulled up a nearby chair as Connor rebuttoned his shirt and sat in front of him.

“We’re going to try and check your eye again,” you said. Connor gave you a hesitant look but sat forward for you to reach. You knew he was nervous, but if it was going to interfere with the diagnostics then you would have to do something about it.

It was a bit of a gamble, but you reached up to cup his cheek instead of placing your fingers to his temple. Connor immediately relaxed into your hand, pressing into your palm. He stared intently into your eyes and your breath hitched. He reached up and placed his hand over yours. Connor was even warmer today, almost on the verge on burning.

You felt his other hand, the upgraded one, glide its way over to your wrist. His thumb rested gently onto your skin.

“Please tell me you’re going to be fine,” Connor said. His voice was low and raspy, each word he said carried a beat of distress. You could tell he was checking you for lies. It was such an innocent move, he was scrambling for any sort of hope.

“I can’t be honest about something I don’t know about yet,” you said, “But I promise I’ll do everything I can to come back safe and sound.”

Connor looked disappointed. He didn’t get the guarantee he wanted but he must’ve realised it was impossible to get something like that.

“You’re right. Of course…”

You slid your fingers up to his temple and ran the diagnostics. It took longer again but at least it was completed this time. You gently pulled away and Connor averted his eyes. All the maintenance was done, it was about time you should be heading off.

 

\---

 

Connor, Hank, and few other officers took rounds to keep tabs on you and Gavin’s infiltration. Connor didn’t need to rest so he planned to stay up the entire night. Connor felt himself on the verge of self-destructing from the stress that reverberated through his system, but there was something about the way you acted that eliminated his doubts. You were… confident. He sensed a strange calm that overcame you the moment you began your infiltration, and you blended in almost seamlessly. Connor forced himself relax. You were going to be fine.

They took you in as new recruits, but you would have to stay on site and be ‘ready to attack’ at any moment.

Hank pulled a chair next to Connor and sat down.

“I was surprised,” Hank sighed, “You’ve been complaining to me about these… ‘conflicts’ with her. But you actually said something about it this time.”

Connor turned his eyes away from the monitor and scowled. “It was irresponsible of me. It was a reasonable mission and I had no right to reject it simply because I disagreed with it.”

“That’s the thing, Connor. People aren’t machines. You’re not a machine. It is reasonable to disagree with a mission because you don’t want to risk a friend’s life.”

Connor hung his head as he slumped over. He was… tired. Emotionally. A part of him wanted it to be over already, another part didn’t want to miss a single damn moment. Connor felt Hank rest his hand on his shoulder.

“It’s going to be alright, son. She’ll be fine.”

Connor could only hope so.

 

\---

 

The rebel group you infiltrated was crowded which was good – it made it easier for you to blend in. The room was another basement, it was dark and there were small windows along the tops of the walls. You noted them in your mind as possible escape routes just in case anything went wrong. You wandered around for something to do. There was a section near the back where aim was being practiced. The practice guns were silenced but they still shot out plastic pellets. You hid your disgust – they were using an android carcass as their target.

You blended in by joining in on the target practice while you kept an eye around for any other androids. You missed a few times on purpose to hide your police training. As much as it pained your conscious, at least the android you were shooting has long been shut down. You offered to swap out the target – there were no alive androids on site.

You returned to the target practice with a less beaten up android torso and set it down. The rebels began firing at it one you were clear.

The general atmosphere was antsy. Some people were excited with the upcoming attack and looking forward to shooting androids down as they fled. Now that was useful – how were they going to make the androids flee the haven?

It was getting late and you didn’t want to seem to active at this time. You settled into one of the empty mattresses and pretended to sleep for a couple of hours, making sure you weren’t muffling the device either.

A lot of the people here were homeless and jobless. You knew someone was pulling the strings of all these rebels, but to take advantage of desperate people like this was terrible. Maybe this is something you should speak to Markus and North about, to make peace with human by helping them restart their lives. You forced those thoughts out for now, you need to maintain your composure in a place like this.

You woke up a few hours later and got up at dawn. Some were still sleeping but at least there were more people wandering around. You got up and grabbed some food, stale but edible. You listened in to any conversations and one caught your attention.

“It’s about time to check in,” they said. _The group leader?_ “Still no response from those android fucks.”

“What the hell are we waiting for? Everything’s set up and we- “

The leader cut the man off.

“Don’t talk about that shit here,” they said. They glanced around before making their way out of the food area. There was a secluded room you haven’t checked yet, is that where they hold their meetings with the supplier? You gave yourself a minute before you got up, put your food away, and inconspicuously pass by the room.

There was a small gap left by the door, and inside you saw the faint glow of a terminal.

“Th-… are set-… we’re ready-… the buildi- “

All you can do is stay as close as you can, you’re sure the device can pick up their conversation better than your ears can.

-

_“The charges are set. We’re ready for when the building collapses to clean up the androids. Looks like the police have no idea they’re down there.”_

_“Nice work.”_

Connor stood up and immediately woke Hank up. He grunted from his sleep and so did a few other officers.

“The rebels are a distraction!” Connor exclaimed, “The main attack is going to be explosive charges below the haven.”

“Oh shit!” Hank shouted, “And the building is one of the old ones too. That shit’s gonna blow up the foundations and collapse the fucking building on those androids!”

“We have to calmly evacuate those androids. If they see them all leave suddenly they’re going to set them off. I’m calling Markus,” Connor reached up to his temple.

_“Hey, what the fuck are you doing there?”_

Connor and Hank looked to each other. Hank’s breathe caught in his throat as Connor dug his fingers into the table.

-

”Waiting for you to give me something to do,” you said. You were caught. You knew the risks to stay this close, but you hoped Hank and Connor heard what they needed. “I’m tired of waiting. I’ve shot that damn android target a hundred times already.

The leader narrowed his eyes, “You’re new here, aren’t you?”

“Came yesterday.”

“Why are you here?”

You frowned, faking confusion, “The same as everyone?”

The leader eyed for longer. You shrugged.

“Alright I’ll shoot more of those android dummies…” you said. You tried to walk away but the leader blocked your path.

“Mmm. Hey, come here,” the leader suddenly grabbed you by the arm. He forced you into the meeting room, another man was sitting there too.

You noticed a camera by the terminal and you tried looked away from it, but the leader grabbed your chin and forced you to look directly into it.

“She suspicious?” the leader said to the terminal. There was a call currently going on. There was no identifying thing like a picture or any name displayed. A few seconds pass of the leader holding your face still and the terminal flashes.

 _“You idiots!”_ a distorted voice came through, _“she’s a cop!”_

Before the two men could react you immediately attacked. You drove your elbow into the leader’s stomach and swung around. Your fist collided with his face with a crunch and while they were dazed you went for the other rebel. He tried to grab you, but you ducked underneath his arms and kicked his side. He cried out in pain and you punched him again. Your next punch was interrupted when the leader got up and grabbed you from behind. You wriggled from his grip as best as you could, but he held on tightly. You spot a flimsy looking shelf and drove him towards it. The metal crashed into his back and his grip loosened. You brought your head to hit his nose, you felt a spray of blood spread across your hair. The other man picked up a chair and tried to swing at you, but he missed as you rolled aside and hit the leader instead.

The room was small, perhaps you could use that to your advantage.

The leader’s face was dripping with blood that spouted from his nose, and he went for a blind swing. You grabbed the other man and pushed him in the path of the punch. The force of it made him tumble over and hit his head on the edge of a table. The man fell to the ground, motionless.

The leader was slow to recover from his last punch and you brought your fist to his temple. He hit the wall and feel unconscious too.

That made too much noise, you had to get out now. You looked over to the terminal, it was still on. The smuggler had ended the call a few seconds ago. You started to unplug the terminal from the charging port – you could get this to Connor to analyse. The terminal was small enough and you tucked it under your arms. You heard footsteps approach the room – your exit is going to be blocked.

First things first, you push the collapsed shelf against the door. You were lucky that there was a window in the room, but it is quite small. You took out the listening device and shed your thickest clothes, leaving you in your singlet and pants. You stood up on the table and tried to pry the lock open. It’s rusted shut, so you grabbed your jacket from the ground, wrapped your fist in it, and broke the glass. You snapped off as many jagged pieces as you could before you slid the terminal to the other side. You braced yourself and pulled yourself up.

You felt some glass shards dig into your skin and cut you, but you grit past the pain. The doors were forced open with a bang the moment you pulled your legs through. You rolled over onto the concrete and forced yourself up. Your stomach took the worst of it, your singlet had rolled up as you climbed through, exposing your bare stomach to the glass. Despite the stinging pain you picked up the terminal and _ran_.

You heard voices come from behind – they were chasing after you.

“Connor! Help!” you cried out. He would’ve heard that with the device still on you. All you could do now is keep running with your hand to your bleeding stomach.

-

Connor sent another message to Markus – the attack was happening now. Connor watched as masked people charged the street, the riot unit was doing everything they could to hold them off.

Connor heard your plea for help and he left the hideout to run towards your position. Just as he made it onto the street he heard explosions come from the haven. Connor turned to see a part of the building had collapsed. It looks like Markus was able to disable a few of the charges, but some of them were still set off.

Chaos. People were screaming, gunshots shook the air – Detroit was falling apart again. Connor ducked into the alleyways to avoid the main action. He leaped over fences and weaved through tight passages. Connor knew he was close.

When he turned into the main street there were innocent civilians running around in panic.

“[Y/N!]” Connor shouted into the crowd, but his voice was drowned out. “[Y/N]!”

Then he saw you, bloodied and broken. You were a wreck as you stumbled through the crowd, a terminal tucked under your arm.

“Connor?” you said as you fell to one knee. Connor felt his fear spiked and he bolted to your position. You tried to keep moving but he could see you struggle to get up again. Connor shoved aside anybody who got in the way, and when he approached you he saw you were losing consciousness. You were dying, he knew the risks of this mission, but to see you this vulnerable made him desperate. He couldn't lose you, not after he realised how important you were to him.

“I’m being chased,” you gasped. Connor scooped you up into his arms and ran towards an alleyway. He felt the warmth of your blood spread onto his clothes, and he also felt that same blood begin to cool on his skin. Connor almost froze in fear for you, but he forced himself to keep moving. He detected it – a few individuals in the crowd were after you. They had guns, but they won’t fire into the busy human crowd.

Connor had to lose them. The moment he was out of the main street he used his analysis skill to his fullest abilities. He could feel himself begin to overheat but he knew exactly which doors were unlocked along the entire alley. Connor opened one of those unlocked doors and stepped through. He made sure to close and lock the door behind him too. It was a backdoor of a restaurant and Connor ran the analysis again – there was no one here.

Connor checked on your condition, you were in a lot of pain – you shouldn’t be moving around this much. He set you down onto the ground just as he heard a series of footsteps run through the alley. Connor cradled you in his arms. You did you best to be quiet, gritting your teeth as the two of you waited for the footsteps to disappear.

It felt like an eternity. Connor had to wait to apply first aid and it drove him crazy. He sent a message to Hank saying that he found you, but you need to be properly treated for your injuries later. Connor spotted a first aid kit on the wall – he was lucky to have picked a restaurant.

Your pursuers sounded like they were giving up, their footsteps suggesting their making their way back onto the main street. _Just a little longer._ Connor did his best to soothe you by running his thumb across your cheek, but your breathing was still laboured from your exhaustion and agony.

Connor waited a few seconds… then nothing. He immediately got up and opened the first aid kit on the wall. He grabbed what he needed, disinfectant and bandages, and went back to you. Connor rolled up your singlet and began to wipe away as much blood as he could.

You clenched your fists as he poured the disinfectant over your stomach and began to place the bandages. The bandages were made to be tightened to seal open wounds and you had two large vertical gashes down your stomach. Connor ran an analysis and found there were no glass shards imbedded in you which was a relief. He lined the bandages up and tugged on the strings, pulling your wounds together.

Your smaller cuts had already begun to scab over so all he had to do was clean them.

The worst of it has passed for the two of you, save the riots happening on the street. You began sobbing on the ground, your adrenalin had passed, and your emotions finally caught up to you.

“It’s my fault,” you whimpered, “I got caught, I- “

Connor silenced you with a gentle hug.

“No, it’s not your fault. You did all you could, you did well.”

Connor slid down onto the ground to lie with you. He slid his arm underneath your head, so you would be more comfortable while his other arm stroked your cheek. Connor glanced over at the terminal you had brought with you, it had cracked slightly but it’s still functional. What you’ve retrieved might be the key to finding the smuggler, but right now Connor had more important things to do.

Connor watched you drift off, you were exhausted. All the two of you could do now was hide at the back of an abandoned restaurant – waiting for the worst of the riots to pass.


	14. Chapter 14: Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah guys, thanks for 800 kudos. I really appreciate the support you are all giving me, it really brightens my day :D  
> Just a warning this chapter has some dark themes

It was strange. You woke up with a numbness across your body and saw Connor lying next to you. Did he forget to wake up before you? Connor had his eyes closed as he breathed slowly – he was in his dormant state. He didn't look peaceful though. Connor's face was twisted with anxiety, his body was tense, and he shivered a little. You tried to move but pain suddenly shot through your stomach and you let out a yelp.

You looked to the source of your pain and saw blood and bandages. Your vision cleared, you weren’t at home, rather you were in some dark unfamiliar place. You closed your eyes in remorse and remembered where you were – Detroit was still under attack.

Connor woke up from the noise you made and gently sat you up against a wall. His eyes scanned all across your body, and then a visible wave of relief washed over him.

“Your condition is stable enough for me to move you,” Connor said, “I can carry you to the hideout.”

He cautiously peered out from the kitchen. His clothes were stained with blood and dirt, more strands of hair had strayed and fallen in front of his face. It was the most dishevelled you've ever seen him. You grabbed the terminal that you left by your side or else your efforts would’ve been wasted.

“Most of the fighting has died down, we should move now.”

Connor returned to you and you wrapped your arms around his neck. He scooped you up into his arms and steadily walked out the backdoor. He was quiet, but you could tell he was on edge. The shock of almost seeing you die on the street still affected him. Connor was nervous as he carried you, looking in every direction as he walked. You winced at your stinging wounds and tried to relax into Connor’s hold.

“I’m sorry. If you’re still in too much pain, we can- “

“No, it’s going to hurt either way. We should make our way back to the hideout.”

Connor nodded and started to move again. He barely took two steps until he hesitated on the spot, he looked worried.

“The hideout…” Connor muttered, “Hank just got back to me. He says the hideout has been compromised, he and the other officers were chased out onto the street.”

You gasped, “Are they alright?”

“Yes, they’re by the collapsed android haven. Hank says we should head there to meet with him.”

Connor paused as his eyes stared blankly onto the ground, “He says it's going to be a disturbing sight…”

-

The two of you made it to the main street. When you saw what was left behind from the attack you clutched tightly onto Connor. There were people lying across the ground, paramedics running everywhere, and police trying to maintain whatever order is left. Ruin was left in the wake of the attack and you had to look away. You tucked your head into Connor's chest, and he held you closer in response. It made Connor feel a small amount of comfort from the chaos.

Connor had arrived at the haven with you, it was mostly sectioned off by the DPD. The police let the two of you through, they recognised you and they saw your injuries. Connor set you down by an ambulance and they began to inspect your injuries. He stayed with you for a bit to reassure you, but ultimately, he knew you were going to be fine. One of the paramedics commended Connor in his first aid before they began to properly dress your wounds.

Connor looked over to one of the main entrances to the android haven and saw Hank. He stood there silently, his face twisted in grief. Connor had paraphrased what Hank had told him before. “ _It’s fucked up over here…”_ was what he said. A thick brick wall blocked off Connor’s view from whatever was so terrible.

Connor slowly approached Hank, and when Connor made it to the entrance opening he knew why Hank looked so distraught.

Dozens, maybe even a hundred android bodies were scattered around the ground. Their blue blood was still fresh and splattered all over the grass and the paths. Many policemen were helping some of the androids that survived the ordeal, but most of them were… dead.

Connor wanted to run his analysis across the field, help the police find any surviving androids. But he hesitated. No, he was scared. What laid beyond his vision was a field of death, and he didn’t want to feel the hollowness of all those who are gone. Connor didn’t want to feel cold.

But it was strange. Connor was sure he notified all the relevant forces, there should have been people defending this position. It was a slaughter that shouldn’t have happened.

Hank swore under his breath as he shoved his tablet into Connor’s chest. He walked away with a frustrated huff, his hands running through his frazzled grey hair. Hank was grumpy, but Connor had never seen him look this disturbed.

Connor pressed play on the tablet, an audio clip of a familiar voice started. There was security footage of the entrance's defence.

_“This is Detective Reed. We need reinforcement at the other entrance now!”_

Connor watched as the officers fell back, and in that moment a wave of rebels charged. Connor played the audio clip again, and again. There was no denying it. It was Gavin’s voice.

“FUCK!”

Hank startled Connor as he kicked into one of the destroyed cars, the door dented inwards. Connor understood his rage, he felt that he was frustrated too. There was no need for reinforcements. Gavin had pulled away well needed defences and let the rebels mow down the remaining officers and the fleeing androids. He wouldn’t have made that mistake accidentally either. The window Gavin bought was too narrow for it to be a coincidence. Connor cursed under his breath.

“Where is Gavin?”

“How the FUCK should I know?” Hank exclaimed, “His device got shut off, the best we can do is check is last position. But… fuck!” He kicked the door again. Another dent.

Connor stared at the tablet. Gavin waited for the perfect moment to cause the most damage, and for what? How deep did his hatred for androids go to cause the demise of so many innocents? Connor’s hands began to shake, his grip on the tablet was loosening. He set it down and let himself fall to the ground.

Pure anger. Connor had never felt it at this level before. The feeling of betrayal, of disgust and terror and grief. Connor felt his mind pulse with fury. That audio clip was enough to send Gavin away for life, but his life will never be able to make up for all the deaths. He felt something menacing rise within him, another conflict in his system. In that moment Connor didn’t care about going through proper arrest protocol. He wanted to force Gavin to confess the moment he saw him, to make him suffer for the crimes he did here.

“Connor?”

Connor glared up to whoever called his name. It was you, and you flinched. You had proper bandages over your wounds and you had stumbled to where Connor collapsed. But you were cautious with each step, your hands in the air like you were reassuring him. The realisation hit Connor, he was terrifying you. He forced himself to regain his composure and slowly got up. He wanted to be calm, but Connor noticed you were about walk past the wall. He immediately rushed to your side and placed his hand over your eyes.

“What the-?”

“Don’t look!” Connor exclaimed, his voice wavered. His hands were still shaking, “Don’t look…”

Connor was delaying the inevitable. He knew you were going to find out about the casualties eventually, but he wanted to protect you for a moment. His hand slowly moved away from your eyes, he watched as looked at him in disbelief.

“Connor are you… crying?”

What? Androids didn’t cry. Connor reached up to his eyes and felt no tears. What he did feel was a dull ache around them though, another strange and unfamiliar feeling. He imagined that’s what human eyes felt like when they cried. Connor had never experienced emotion this distressing that it actually pained him. He felt heavy, a part of him wanted everything to stop for a moment to help him find his bearings. But there was no time, he had to find Gavin. He had to-

Connor coughed. He felt it come up and he placed his hand over his mouth. As he peeled his hand away you and Connor looked at it in shock. There was a splattering of blue blood across his palm.

 _Crap._ His filters must’ve messed up again after he ran his abilities at max power. You led Connor to a nearby wall and looked around frantically. The glove was left back at the hideout and you desperately looked around for a Cyberlife truck. You knew there were a few around to help treat the injured androids, but you couldn’t see anything from your position. Connor tried to run an analysis of the area, but he only coughed up more thirium.

“Hank. Hank!”

“What- “

Hank saw his state and ran over. “Jesus Connor not again.”

“Cyberlife truck. Find one. Ask for one of those android gloves. Quick!”

Hank nodded warily and ran off to do what you asked. Connor slid down the wall and took a seat on the ground. You unbuttoned his shirt in preparation. Hank returned soon after with a familiar looking glove in hand. He passed it onto you and you slipped it on.

You temporarily disabled a few of his upgrades before you were about to clean out his filters, and Connor flinched at the feeling of his panel being removed. Connor often found solace from your touch, but in the moment, everything was too much. He felt too much pain, too much suffering. He couldn’t handle the added sensations you were about to give him.

Connor closed his eyes and exhaled. Before your fingers touched the thirium filters in his body he turned his nerve feedback off completely. Everything felt… No. There was nothing. It was like he was floating, he didn’t feel the ground, or the wind, or you.

 _Take the good with the bad,_ that was what Kamski said about the patch, and Connor felt like he finally understood. It’s true, he no longer felt the sting in his eyes and the malfunction that clawed at his chest and throat. But eradicating the pain didn’t fix his emotions, the physical pain was just a side effect of his grief.

He watched you work silently. With each second that passed without feeling the more impatient he got. Connor wanted to feel your warmth, your touch, your heartbeat. The longer he waited the more he desired you. He wanted relief from the sadness he felt, and the confusion that plagued him.

When you finished he immediately turned his nerve feedback to 30% and grabbed for you. You jolted in surprise but didn’t resist when Connor wrapped himself around you. He re-centred himself to the sound of your rising heartbeat.

“Everything is so… confusing,” Connor muttered. A dull ache lingered in his chest where his heart was, “My emotions, my senses – everything is all over the place. I can’t…”

Was this what it took to become human? This much… suffering?

“Hank!”

A voice called out from the crowd. It was Chris.

“We found him. Gavin. But he’s…”

You and Connor watched as Hank walked towards Chris, murder in his eyes.

“He’s _what_?” Hank asked, his voice rumbled deep in his chest.

“H-He’s being taken to the hospital,” Chris said in a panic, “T-They found him unconscious in one of the rebel hideouts.”

Chris cleared his throat and took a step back from Hank, “It’s blue ice.”

 

\---

 

A full day had passed until it was time for Gavin’s interrogation. He was too disorientated to be questioned when they found him. You noticed that while you waited Connor and Hank were silent, anticipating the moment when they were going to question him.

It bothered you how cold Connor had become. He was so shaken by the haven attack that you knew he was struggling with his emotions. Connor didn’t even play with his coin. His fists were constantly clenched, silent determination in movements – there was no doubt he was still furious.

“Connor,” you called out to him. He softened at your attention, but he was still troubled.  “You’re worrying me. Are you going to be alright?”

“I think so,” he said as he relaxed his hands. The artificial skin on his palm was damaged.

“You really think Gavin did it?” you asked. You don’t know for sure what happened to Gavin. Did they blackmail him? Torture him? Did he work under the smuggler the whole time? You knew he hated androids but a part of you doubted he would do anything this extreme.

“The recording we have is incriminating,” Connor said, “There’s a high chance he is guilty.”

Cold, unforgiving – this wasn’t him. You knew he wasn’t fine. Connor was usually so level headed in dealing with interrogations and investigations, but this case is pushing him over the line. Until Gavin confesses to his crimes he should be treated as any other suspect. It seems like Connor had already made his verdict before he began. You wanted to stop Connor, pull him away from work and give him time to digest everything that has happened. But you couldn't break him out of his focus. A small bead of spite stopped you too.

You hated Gavin. He was an asshole to you and was relentless when it came to insulting Connor. A part of you wanted Gavin to be guilty.

Connor looked down to his hand and flexed his fingers.

“I want to use this. Get the truth over and done with.”

“O-Of course, “You reached out and turned his hand to full power, “Just don’t overdo it, okay?”

He nodded blankly, validating your worries even more.

Markus and North had visited the station, they wanted to sit in on the interrogation as well. Fowler was against it at first, but something resonated within him when he saw them two of them. Everyone could sense it, the deaths of their people that weighed on them. Fowler decided to let them watch.

North sat next to you, giving you a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

“How are your injuries?” she asked you.

“Better, thanks.”

All your wounds had closed well. The ointment you were given to apply to them had made them heal remarkably. The pain was still there though and you had to be careful to not overexert yourself.

You glanced up when you heard the door into the interrogation room open. You stopped breathing as you watched Chris lead Gavin into the room. It certainly wasn't what you were expecting.

You’ve never seen Gavin so… broken. He was frail, weak – his eyes were glossed over and full of remorse. He sat down on the chair with a slump. Gavin’s usual arrogant self was missing, and the person in that room was a broken husk of whoever he used to be. Was this really the look of a man who was truly guilty?

The door slid open and you watched Connor enter soon after. His expression was dark, cold - he wasn't going to let Gavin get away with this, and that made you worried more.


	15. Chapter 15: Accusations

You watched Connor slide into his seat, his eyes trained onto Gavin’s pathetic form. There was a few seconds of quiet staring, he was probably running an analysis on Gavin. Suddenly, Connor reached forward and grabbed Gavin’s wrist – he flinched at the pain.

He wasn't kidding when he said he wanted to get this over and done with.

“Why did you order the defences away?” Connor asked bluntly. His voice was deep and demanding. Gavin stuttered. He was trying to shake away from his painful grasp.

“I…I-”

“We have a clip of your voice! Don’t deny it!”

“N-no!” Gavin shook his head. He tried to break away from Connor’s grip, but he held on.

 _This is wrong,_ you thought. You studied Gavin closely, _he’s too shaken. Connor needs to let him speak._ But Connor kept pushing, he wanted to force his confession now, and it was hurting Gavin. You sat back in your chair uncomfortably and looked to the others.

Hank and Fowler watched intently. You understood that having one of your own as a suspect was tough, and perhaps watching Connor berate Gavin was an extension of being able to alleviate their own pent up frustrations.

North didn’t like Gavin, that was very clear, but her expression was blank. You knew North cared more about androids than humans. It’s not something you take personally, but you wondered what she thought about the heated interrogation.

Markus seemed to feel as troubled as you, but he watched on silently. He noticed your glance and looked at you. You saw it displayed clearly, Markus didn’t like this at all, and that made you feel relieved that you weren’t the only one.

Was there something you could do about this?

“You ordered the defences to leave, then immediately took a dose of blue ice to erase your memory! Say it!” Connor shouted. Gavin struggled more, a sob escaped him, but Connor persisted.

It hurt you to see Connor and Gavin like this. Connor, your sweet, friendly Connor, was driven by unrelenting anger, and Gavin was being broken apart with each painful accusation. Both men were not in their right minds, and you had to stop this.

You looked to Markus, he seemed to have caught on to what you wanted to do. He gave you a nod of encouragement as you stood up.

“Hey- Where do you think you’re- “

You ignored Fowler as you walked off and approached the interrogation door. You tensed when you sensed Fowler stand up too but then you heard Markus mutter something to him. You pressed your hand on the door lock and entered the room.

Both men stared at you as Connor was in the middle of twisting Gavin’s arm. You gasped at the cruelty and reached out to pull Connor’s grasp away from his wrist. Connor watched you with wide eyes as he let you stop his action.

“What are you doing?! You’re hurting him!” you raised your voice to Connor, “Whether or not Gavin is guilty he- “you glanced at Gavin, his eyes were red with exhaustion, “… doesn’t deserve this.”

“What do you mean?” Connor whimpered, he looked so unsure, “I was just trying to get- “

“Yes, I know,” you cut in, “But forcing a confession like this isn’t right. Look at him! He’s scared.”

Gavin tensed at your words but didn’t deny them. He curled up more into himself and tried to avoid looking at the two of you. Connor was frozen in place, his face twitched in deep thought. You knelt to the ground beside Connor and reached out to his upgraded hand. He gave it to you reluctantly and you turned off the lie detector.

“We can’t force him to confess something he doesn’t know,” you said calmly, “But there is something else we can try. Let me speak to him.”

Connor nodded hesitantly and slid off the chair. You took his place.

You were nervous. You’ve never questioned someone before, let alone question someone like Gavin. But no, you had to set an example to Connor. You had to show him that you can’t let your anger control your actions. You had to stay fair.

You took a moment to study Gavin. Upon closer look he seemed… humiliated. It must’ve been hard for someone so usually proud to be in this position. Gavin was an ass, sure, but he didn’t seem like a truly bad person. You know he’s on the side of the law at least or else they would’ve kicked him out a long time ago. There’s a chance he maintained his position at the DPD for the attack, but you didn’t have anything to prove that. Blue ice was a big problem too, if he made himself forget what he did because he was aware of Connor's lie detector, then you couldn't question him on his actions.

This was no longer an interrogation for the truth, rather, it was an interrogation to gauge if Gavin was capable of doing such a terrible thing.

You took a deep breath and began your questioning.

“Gavin, how do you feel?”

Silence.

“I’m sorry for having to go through that.”

Nothing.

“Can you tell me… anything?”

Gavin shook a little before his gaze met yours. He tried to look menacing, but you could see the shame in his eyes. There was nothing in his expression that told you he was pleased about what happened today. It wasn't the look of someone who was guilty.

“I don’t think you did it,” you told him. You saw Connor tense at your claim but watched on silently.

You thought back to a few days ago to what he said to you. Gavin was insecure, was he intimidated by androids?

“It’s no secret you don’t like androids,” you looked up to Connor, his head tilted to the side with curiosity, “They’re smart, capable, beautiful – built to be perfect, almost too good to be true. Must’ve been a surprise you when they won the revolution and established laws for themselves.”

You turned back to Gavin. He looked a little more closed in, your words must’ve struck a chord. _Okay, what else?_

“A few days ago, you said you didn’t like the idea of androids taking your job. But I don’t think you’re the type of person to submit to that kind of threat. I think you’re the type of person who would work their ass off to keep your spot.”

Gavin let out a small huff, and for a moment you saw a bit of life come back to him.

“Am I right?” you said. You wanted to try to and tease out a response from him, revive his arrogance a little.

You felt relieved when Gavin finally lifted his head, but he looked irritated.

“What are you trying to do, huh?” he spat, “Trying to figure me out?”

Gavin slightly smirked in disbelief, “What’s your plan, huh?”

A risk. You still don’t know if Gavin is innocent, and if he knew what you were trying to do he might change his response. Then again, he might not. You didn’t trust Gavin at first, but that was possibly just an extension of your dislike towards him.

Gavin was always honest, brutally so, but still honest. He never tried to adapt his personality to win your trust. He was forward with his thoughts because he trusted you, and you brushed that aside. You felt a small bead of appreciation grow for him, but you closed your eyes and ran through your thoughts again.

Can you trust Gavin?

You remembered Connor watching you intently. _Set an example, be fair,_ and that’s when you made your choice. You had to be the better person in this situation.

“I’m trying to figure out your motivations,” you said, “I want to see if you were the type of person that would pull a crime like this.”

Gavin laughed, “You shouldn’t have told me that, I could start lying to you now.”

“But are you going to?”

He paused, his next words caught in his throat.

You began to pity Gavin; did you misunderstand him the whole time? What if all this time he was a hard-working, motivated detective? It must’ve been so hard to be drugged, manipulated to cause many innocent deaths, and have his name tarnished forever. You let yourself relax, you wanted to be genuine with him, and you didn't hold back your tears.

“I’m so sorry Gavin,” you sobbed.

“What the hell are you sorry for?” he hissed through clenched teeth. He was caught off guard.

“That you had to go through all of that. I don’t know if you trust me or not, but I’m not going to force you to do anything. If it means anything,” you took a deep breath, “I trust you.”

Did Gavin ever get consoled after he left the hospital? Did anyone bothered to ask if he was fine?

“Don’t say that shit to me!” Gavin shouted, he stood up from his chair. His restraints clinked against the metal table, “You have no idea how I feel! How I…”

Gavin was breathing heavily, his face twisted in uncertainty. And seemingly to his own surprise, he began to cry too. You spotted Connor staggering at the edges of your vision. Gavin sat back down, looking defeated.

“I fucking hate androids,” he said. His voice was low and gravelly from his tears, “but I wouldn’t pull that kind of shit. Not after the laws. I…”

Gavin glanced up at Connor, “I hate you the most. You do my job better than anyone here, while I wanted to be the best…”

He sniffed hard, quickly brushing away a tear that trailed down to his jaw, “I wanted to fucking kill you. But I won’t break the law for petty shit like that.”

Gavin looked to you, his eyes were clear, honest – he was back.

“Whatever they did to me when they drugged me, I don’t know. But I know I’m fucking innocent, understand?”

You felt a wave of relief. You felt proud for Gavin, it probably wasn’t easy to admit something like that for someone so arrogant. You smiled.

“Understood.”

In the eyes of the DPD your questioning was useless. You didn’t learn anything new or incriminating. And until you have definitive evidence to prove that Gavin was guilty, you hoped that they would treat him fairly. If he was guilty then you'll probably be known to be too easy to trust, easily manipulated, but it was worth the chance of comforting an innocent man.

You turned to leave, you were done here. As you sat up from the chair you saw Connor’s expression.

He was stunned - pure disbelief of what you just did. In theory, it shouldn’t have worked. You had given Gavin every opportunity to manipulate you and twist this interrogation to his favour. But he didn’t, and Connor was having trouble comprehending your method.

You placed your hand on Connor’s shoulder as you passed him.

“We have more evidence to analyse, come on,” you said.

And Connor followed you quietly out of the room.

 

\---

 

You could sense the inevitable scolding from a mile away.

_YOU’RE NOT AUTHORISED TO DO THAT!_

_YOU COULD’VE SABOTAGED THE INTERROGATION!_

Fowler wanted you to write a report on why you acted out of line, which you complied with a sigh. After you left, Fowler had Gavin escorted to one of the cells. You didn't plan to visit him, he was humiliated enough today, Gavin needed his rest.

Hank didn’t seem happy about what you did at first, but ultimately, he understood why you did it. Hank is not the most expressive person, but when he gave you a slight pat on the back, you knew you did the right thing.

North and Markus had to leave to help with the haven aftermath, but they seemed impressed with what you did, especially Markus.

And finally, Connor. He was silent, probably thinking about what you displayed at the interrogation. It is unusual to show that much compassion to someone you hated, but it was the right thing to do, and Connor seemed to be reminded of that.

You were cleaning up your desk and ready to retire for the night when he spoke.

“Did my anger cloud my judgement?”

You nodded.

“I… I did the wrong thing, didn’t I?”

You nodded, a bit more warily because he seemed too hard on himself.

“My anger made me assume right away that Gavin was the culprit. I jumped to conclusions. It- “Connor choked, “I made a mistake.”

“That what humans do, we’re not perfect,” you said. You could almost hear it. _But I’m not human._ But that wasn’t true for Connor. You knew he wanted to become human. “Mistakes are never fun to make, and the best you can do now is learn from them. So, mistakes are okay, just… don’t make the same mistakes I guess.”

You felt like you could’ve worded that better, but you were exhausted. It was enough for Connor to understand so it’s good enough.

Connor looked down at his upgraded hand.

“I won’t use this anymore.”

You were a little surprised, “Are you sure?”

“It…” Connor frowned as he formulated his words, “It’ll be a last resort, but after today I don’t think it’s fair for me to force this on someone. Still…”

Connor lifted his own hand and examined it, “Why would you lie if you were innocent? Wouldn't lying be used to hide a person's guilt?”

“Sometimes people lie to protect something,” you shrugged. _You lied to Connor about your feelings when you kissed him after all._

There was something about that thought that was different. Initially you thought you were going to keep that a secret for as long as you could. But thinking about it, if you were clear about your intentions then you wouldn't be forcing Connor into anything.

Maybe you should’ve never lied to him in the first place.

“Connor, I-” He looked to you attentively, patiently waiting for what you were going to say, and you hesitated. No, it wasn’t the right time. You were exhausted, and you imagined Connor was his own definition of exhausted too.

“Let’s go home,” you sighed. Maybe another time then.


	16. Chapter 16: Curiosities Answered

The sun had begun to rise the moment the two of you returned home. You immediately dropped everything to shower and fell asleep in the comfort of your bed. In contrast, Connor was too preoccupied to fall into his dormant state. He stared out the window and watched as light began to seep across the city view.

Connor noticed that the sunlight was shining through the window and a thought crossed his mind. He moved up to the glass and sat in it. He felt uneasy at first with the heat on his skin, but he quickly relaxed when he adjusted to the warmth. Connor had never appreciated the sun like this before. Heat was usually seen as a malfunction for androids, but after being around you and now the sun his opinions had changed.

Connor took the time to think through what you did today. It was a strange concept for him to grasp. He was originally a machine built to be a highly efficient and skilled detective, he didn’t lose those attributes when he became a deviant.

But in that moment of fevered anger, Connor couldn’t think beyond his set reasoning. Connor was so used to being correct, his deductions never failed him, that he didn’t notice how unreasonable his actions had become. It was only when you showed him there was another possibility to what he wanted was when he remembered.

It made Connor want to be with you more. Your insights were so valuable to his growth that he didn’t want to ever be separated from you.

Connor felt unsure again, his thoughts spiralled into another complex well of emotions and reasoning. For a long time, he defined these feelings as strange, but after so much time he seemed to be confident to state what it was finally.

Connor loved you. The definition of love was so broad he needed time wrapping his head around it, but he felt like he was assured with labelling that emotion.

The next thing to do was to figure out what to do with this discovery.

-

You woke up when the sun began to set. A sliver of sunlight that had slipped through your curtains caught your eye, and you grumbled at the uncomfortable awakening. You heard the T.V. from the living room, Connor must be watching something.

You wandered out and the audio became clearer.

_CASUALITIES IN DETROIT- ANDROID HAVEN ATTACKED- TERRORIST ATTACK, DOZENS ARRESTED-_

Connor was on the couch as he flipped through the news channels. Or rather, avoiding them. It looked like he was trying to find something to distract himself, but with the calamity of the haven attack he wasn't having too much luck.

When you came into view he broke his concentration and glanced up at you. You shrugged a good afternoon before you disappeared into the bathroom to shower. While you were freshening up you stared at the wounds across your body. You haven’t seen yourself properly in the past day or so (you were too tired to pay attention last night), and the sight of the damage was a bit unsettling.

You wondered which wounds would scar, and which ones would heal fine. The big gashes on your stomach still stung, you wondered how long that would last.

You were careful when you showered and frowned when you remembered that you left the healing ointment outside. You knew it was best to let your wounds breathe but there was a problem. Naturally, you were happy to walk around naked when you lived alone. But now, Connor was essentially living with you, and you weren’t sure if walking around like that would cross a line.

How modest did you have to be around him? Sure, he’s not necessarily a human with human desires, but that could’ve changed when he became a deviant. You sighed and put on a bra and wore some loose comfortable shorts. To top it all off, you wore a bathrobe for extra measure and walked out the bathroom.

You reached for the ointment and began to unscrew it when you hear shuffling from the couch. You turned to see Connor looking oddly nervous. He approached you and gently coaxed the ointment from your hand.

“Could I… do this for you?” Connor asked, “You always seem to repair me when I malfunctioned. I’d like to return to the favour. B-but you don’t agree, I just thought…”

It was certainly a very intimate request, but one that you weren’t against. You felt that his offer began to kindle a small curiosity within you. It seemed like an honest, very android way, of Connor expressing his gratitude, but the idea of his fingers running across your body…

“Sure,” you said. You felt a blush begin to spread across your cheeks from the anticipation as you sat down on the couch. A part of you felt guilty, you’ve been longing for Connor’s affection for a long time, but you still didn’t know what kind of relationship the two of you had.

That is, until you saw Connor was blushing as much as you.

Connor covered his fingers with the healing ointment and knelt in front of you. He used his clean hands to carefully part open your bathrobe, exposing your half naked body. Connor averted his gaze for a moment before he regained concentration.

Maybe you took this sort of thing for granted. You’ve done maintenance on Connor for a while now, so you didn’t think anything of this kind of position. But now that Connor’s doing it to you it thrilled you more than you thought. _Is this what he feels every time when you do this to him?_

Connor began to apply the ointment on your injuries. Your wounds stung, but at the same time his motions soothed you. He ran his fingers up your skin slowly, affectionately, it made you breathless at the sensation. His touch was warm, and before you knew it he had all his fingers splayed across your abdomen.

You shivered at contact, your legs jerked instinctually when you felt a warmth ignite between them. The heat from his skin and the pressure of his fingers felt _really_ good. Connor’s hand suddenly pulled away.

“I’m sorry, did I hurt you?” he asked. His expression was uncertain, concerned. “Maybe this wasn’t a good idea, I shouldn’t- “

“No,” you breathed, “Y-you can keep going. I’m fine.”

Connor didn’t respond, but he complied when he placed his fingers on your stomach again. He continued to treat your wounds tenderly, and very soon his touch began to wander again. You relaxed into the couch more and Connor eagerly leaned closer to you.

What drove him to do this all of a sudden? You let him continue, you were curious to see what he wanted to learn about your body.

His hand began to trail higher as he shifted closer, and that’s when you saw it. Connor’s eyes were hooded, his lips were slightly parted, and he was inhaling in staggered breaths. Connor was beyond treating your wounds at this point, seemingly driven by his desire to examine your exposed skin. And you let him do it.

Connor looked strangely enchanted by your body as he continued to explore. He parted your bathrobe entirely, the fabric slid off your shoulders while he felt the curve of your arms beneath his fingertips.

At this point, Connor was borderline straddling you. You didn't think he realised how close he had gotten that could feel the heat radiate off his body. You felt like it was time to make a move.

You reached out to lift Connor’s chin, his expression was clearer that way. A deep blue blush was across his cheeks, his pupils were dilated, and his body temperature felt like it could burn you. You stared at the perfect shape of his lips and you idly brushed your thumb across. Connor let out a strangled sigh, it seemed like he liked that. And you were happy to give him more.

You leaned closer to his face to kiss him, you wanted to experience that sensation again from all that time ago. But he beat you to it when he dashed forward to meet your lips first. The kiss sent shocks across your body and short circuited your senses. You almost staggered off the couch but Connor firmly held you in place. The beginning was forceful, but it gradually turned soft, slow as his lips began you move with yours. One of his hands slid up your neck and made its way to the back of your head. Connor began to tangle your hair around his fingers as the two of you were deep into this dance.

You were locked together as his other free hand reached up to hold yours. You knew androids link arms to form some sort of bond, and Connor seemed to be mindlessly acting on that instinct.

He placed one knee up on the couch beside you to get to a more comfortable angle. Connor's body was pinning yours into the couch before you noticed he started getting rougher.

The grip on your arm tightened and pinned you down. Connor grabbed onto a bundle of your hair and began to steer your head into fantastic angles. His body had become so overheated that you felt him begin to sweat as a feeble attempt to cool himself down.

It was getting better by the second, but barely gave you any opportunities to breathe. As much as you wanted this to continue, you were suffocating – you had to gently push him away to take a breather. Connor was still lost in a stupor, slightly disoriented on why the sensations suddenly stopped. It took him a second to register what was happening.

Both of you were panting hard. Connor blinked a few times, then he flinched away suddenly.

“I made another mistake,” he gasped.

You felt your anxiety spike. _Oh no, did you do something?  
_

“I forgot to establish that I wanted to be romantically involved with you before I kissed you.”

 _Oh._ Your eyes widened at what he just said. You told yourself you would only be in a relationship with Connor if he initiated it, but you never expected it to actually happen. You didn’t know how long it took you to process it, everything suddenly felt like you were dreaming.

But no, this was real. And Connor just did what you have been dreaming of for a while.

Connor looked worried as he began to shuffle away from you, like he was fleeing from guilt.

“It’s okay!” you flustered, “I didn’t mind, don’t feel bad!”

You jerked forward to reassure him, but a surge of pain from the sudden movement stopped you. Connor immediately snapped out of his anxiety and helped you relax into the couch. He pulled up your bathrobe and slid a cushion under you so you would be more comfortable. It was amusing to see the sudden change in his mood, he was like a hyperactive puppy sometimes.

“I… should focus on your treatment,” Connor stammered, “I won’t get distracted this time.”

You giggled, “It was a nice distraction though.”

Connor smirked, "I don't know what came over me, but I'm glad you enjoyed that."

He properly treated your wounds. His blushing had faded, and he adopted a more serious mannerism. His curiosity was probably satisfied for now – looks like he won’t be side-tracked this time.

As he patched you up you began to wonder, _what now?_ You’ve never been in a relationship with an android before. Would you have to do anything different now that you and Connor were together? But you were probably overthinking it, maybe it’s best to let things happen naturally.

Connor finished up with the last of your injuries he sat with you on the couch. He fiddled the hem of his clothes quietly, not knowing what to say. It seemed like initiating a relationship had the opposite effect on him. He acted awkwardly, averting his eyes and keeping his distance.

You sighed and leaned on him, resting your head on his shoulder.

“Relax, Connor,” you said. Connor inhaled shakily.

“I’m trying but… I’m processing a whole lot of new emotions running through me right now. I’m having trouble identifying them all.”

“There’s no rush,” you shrugged, “We’ll be fine.”

"I do have a question though."

You raised an eyebrow at him.

"Now that we have established a romantic relationship, should we announce it to everyone? To avoid confusion that is."

An embarrassing series of scenarios popped into your head. Hank, Kamski, Gavin- how were they going to react? Android-human couples weren't unheard of, but that was when they were machines following orders. For you and Connor to both be consenting to this, what kind of discussion is that going to bring up?

"I-I'd say don't announce it at every opportunity," you said, "Rather just bring it up when the conversation naturally flows to it, right?"

Connor nodded, "Okay"

 

\---

 

When you and Connor arrived at the DPD, it was late. They needed the both of you back as soon as you were able to work. The two of you walked in like you usually would, or so you thought.

Hank saw you two enter. A scowl was on his face as he stared at the both of you for a long time. You and Connor stood still and let him examine whatever he was trying to examine. After a good amount of time, Hank shrugged and took a sip of his coffee.

"It was about damn time it happened."

A blush of embarrassment washed over you. You glanced at Connor, did he give anything away? But no, he looked as surpised - and embarrassed as you. Hank sighed.

"I'm a detective too, y'know..."


	17. Chapter 17: Mirror Images

Connor pressed his fingers into the cracked terminal. It lit up to his touch. You had risked your life to recover this piece of evidence, and he was going to scan the entire thing until he found what he was looking for. Connor closed his eyes and dug deeper. Amongst the lines of useless, mundane information, he was able to find the last call the terminal had with the rebels.

Connor tried to connect the caller to any person, any location – but nothing. Or rather, not something he could connect to a human. Connor felt the familiar lines of code stored in the terminal. This is something that he had done many times before.

Whoever the rebels were in a call with, their caller was an android.

“Holy shit, Gavin was right. And if it’s an android doing all this then it’s no wonder how they were able to contact and control so many people at the same time,” Hank said. You sat in too when Connor revealed his findings. You frowned at his discovery, and Connor himself was concerned too.

It meant that the suspect was a deviant. But why would a deviant fight for androids to be oppressed? Perhaps it’s a perspective Connor will never understand.

“Unfortunately,” Fowler chimed in, “Gavin still isn’t in the clear. It doesn’t prove that he didn’t call off the defences and took the blue ice to erase his memory.”

Connor tapped the coin in his pocket, now wasn’t the time to be playing with it. He wanted to fidget to calm his growing worries. The best he could settling with was a dull muffled clink against his leg.

There was a possible theory he had in mind, but one that he didn't like.

When Connor was a machine, he had orders not to reveal certain features. A part of it was because he was a prototype, and some of his abilities could be modified, removed, or enhanced. On the other hand, some features could be controversial, threatening even. But Connor didn’t need to follow protocol anymore. Not as a deviant, and not when thousands of lives are at stake.

“There’s an undocumented feature that some androids may have,” Connor began. He knew Cyberlife could get in a lot of trouble for this, but he’s sure Kamski can handle the aftermath.

“Some androids, like me, can replicate a person’s voice. It’s never stated for… obvious reasons. I have it to assist with my investigation, but there might be other androids out there with the same feature as me.”

Connor had to use this feature to gain access to the lift at Cyberlife to help with Markus revolution. If he didn’t, he probably would’ve died.

Fowler rubbed his eyes and swore under his breath. “Elijah Kamski’s sure gonna be in a lot of shit for that. That shit’s beyond just a breach of privacy.”

Connor shrugged.

“Is there a way to analyse the voice clip to see if it is an android replicating it?” you asked.

“It’s only something Cyberlife can do since they’re the only ones aware of it. Until now, that is.”

Hank sighed, “Time for another visit to Kamski? You have been breaking down a fuck ton as well, maybe you ought to have a check-up while you’re there.”

“Looks like it,” Connor said.

-

A part of you felt disappointed you couldn’t spend your ‘honeymoon phase’ with Connor, but there was work to be done. You waited patiently for Connor to contact Kamski before you two hopped into a taxi and made your way there.

Connor must be feeling the same way too, because he forced you into a cuddle whist you were in the taxi. Thank god for self-driving cars, you wouldn’t want to do this with somebody else here.

“When this whole thing is over,” you said as ran your hand across Connor’s cheek, “Do you have anything you want to do?”

Connor thought for a moment, his fingers idly playing with your hair, “I’d like to walk around Detroit more. I know everything about Detroit, but I’ve never actually explored it. That walk I went with you last time was nice – I like watching people in that park, it was peaceful.”

You smiled, then you remembered the strange figure that had followed you that time.

“Do you have any idea who that could be in the park? The one that trailed us.”

“It certainly didn’t feel like a coincidence, but…” Connor’s gaze wandered out the window in thought, “No… It shouldn’t be.”

“Shouldn’t be what?” you asked.

“I have my suspicions, but we’ll find out once we speak with Kamski,” Connor said. He leaned in for a small kiss.

“Whatever happens, I’ll keep you safe.”

“Thanks, but you know I am _very_ capable of defending myself. I did beat you that one time,” you smirked.

“It did take you a few tries though- “

“Oh, give me some slack,” you laughed.

“But if I don't go easy on you when we spar, then I won’t be able to see your fascination when you manage to pin me.”

You blushed, “Is this your attempt at flirting?”

“Is it working?”

“The delivery can be improved.”

Connor pressed another kiss to your cheek before the two of you sat up. You were shortly arriving at Cyberlife HQ and you straightened yourself out. Then again, you don’t doubt Kamski’s ability to spot the relationship between you two. He wasn’t Hank, but he should be able to sense a change in Connor’s mannerisms.

 

\---

 

The car door opened and the two of you slid out. Chloe greeted the two of you with a smile and escorted you up to Kamski’s office. She was a different looking Chloe; her LED was removed, and she had dyed her hair to be black.

It was a thought you probably wouldn’t have time for, but you wanted to learn about each different Chloe. You knew that when you messaged ‘Chloe” you were messaging the ten or so that still worked for Kamski altogether. It’d be nice to know about any quirks when they became deviants, if they all had different passions and what made them unique from one another.

The elevator reached the top floor, and Kamski smiled at your entry. He gestured to follow him into the lab and the two of you walked behind him.

“I got your message and I checked the systems,” Kamski said as the two of you sat down, “As far as we know, only the RK800 is capable of such a feature. But before we get to that, I’d like to do your check-up first.”

Connor frowned, but Kamski peered over his shoulder with a smirk, “Don’t worry, I sent Chloe to personally check our android storages too. There is a lot to go through, so it might take a while for her to get back to us.”

You arrived at the doors that opened to the magnificent lab. After studying so much about androids a lot of the equipment made more sense to you. It didn’t make them any less impressive. Kamski led Connor to lie down on a table.

“Don’t move please… Then again, I have no idea what Cyberlife has been doing while I haven’t been around,” Kamski said as he ran a scan on Connor. An overhead machine flashed a light over his form. Kamski tapped the tablet in his hands and gave a little smirk.

“Experimenting with some features, are we, Connor?” he teased. Kamski glanced up at you and stared at you for a moment, “But you disabled them again. That’s a shame.”

“Kamski,” Connor snapped.

You weren't sure what Kamski meant. The only feature you were aware of that Connor could disable was his nerve feedback. You raised an eyebrow to Connor, was he hiding something?

Kamski chuckled. "From my scans it looks like your body is adapting to the upgrades well, despite the complications with your filters.”

He wandered over to you and nudged you gently, “You’ve been doing a good job taking care of him. I am willing to consider you as an apprentice if you’re interested.”

“Oh,” you were flattered, “That sounds great, but I’m with the DPD right now, and… the case….?”

“Ah, right. Another time then.”

Kamski reached out and lifted Connor’s upgraded hand. He frowned when he receded Connor’s artificial skin and saw that it was deactivated.

“A lie detector does not aid with my investigation,” Connor said, “It is more beneficial to me if it was off.”

Kamski nodded, “That’s an interesting observation. Good to see you making your own opinions.”

Kamski started running his final check on Connor’s eye.

“Anything else interesting happen to you deviant wise?” Kamski asked.

Connor pondered for a second, “After I ran your scan to delete the virus from my system, I still had a… vision during my dormant state. But being with [Y/N] was able to fix that.

"It was similar to what humans call a 'nightmare'."

Chloe and Kamski looked at each other surprised.

“That’s certainly is unique,” he said. “It’s not an error on my end, is it?”

“No, it shouldn’t be. I ran my own scans and there were no traces of the virus left.”

“I… see.”

The scan beeped to a halt and Connor blinked a few times.

“You haven’t experienced any… traumatic incidents since, have you?”

Connor glanced up to you and you averted your eyes. The both of you have had it rough the past few days.

“There are many times that [Y/N] has been in danger that I could define as traumatic,” Connor said grimly.

“These must be the stressful events you mentioned from the message you sent to Chloe,” Kamski nodded, “Interesting… if you’re prone to overheating then I suppose I’ll upgrade your filters. Chloe?”

Chloe approached with a metallic box in hand. The two of them worked on Connor as you stood by his head. You watched curiously as they swapped out his filters. Kamski smiled and pointed towards a central thick tube in Connor’s body.

“When operating on an android, be sure to avoid rupturing or disconnecting the central thirium pumps. It’s not as bad as tearing out the regulator, but it can cause a robot to shut down if you don’t patch up the leak,” he said as he worked. Kamski wandered over to the side of Connor’s head and tapped the back of Connor’s scalp.

Connor flinched with each tap.

“There’s a panel here that you can forcefully deactivated an android with a strong electromagnetic shock.”

“And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t touch it while you’re showing her,” Connor said bluntly. Kamski shrugged and went back to his filters.

“She seems like a very keen student, it’s a good opportunity to teach her. The gloves can do the trick by the way, you should know how to use them by now.”

You nodded. Now that you know that the suspect is an android this information could come in handy one day.

Kamski finished up the filters and Connor sat up.

“Thank you, may we discuss the case now?” Connor asked.

“The audio clip you sent me,” Kamski said as he sat down on a nearby stool, “Was indeed by an android, rather, it was from an RK800. Which- “Kamski lifted a finger to stop Connor from protesting, “I know isn’t possible. As far as I know you’re the only active RK800 model out there.”

You frowned. Connor has a solid alibi, he was in the police hideout with Hank and a few other officers. There’s a chance he could’ve sent that voice in his mind, but Connor fought for the deviant’s freedom. It wouldn’t make sense for him to try and take it away. There’s no way he was the culprit.

“But Cyberlife didn’t make just one Connor,” Kamski sighed. Connor tensed nervously, you approached his side to comfort him, “They only had one Connor model running at a time to avoid conflicting investigations, but they had several RK800s held in the storage.

“To my knowledge, many of the RK800s were failed prototypes. The features that made you a detective had a high chance of crashing an android on start-up. As for the RK800s that did work, I made sure that they would stay deactivated for good.”

“Are you sure about that?” Connor asked, “If that’s true it means that we’re left with another dead end.”

Kamski tapped something on his tablet and Connor blinked.

“I just sent you another virus scan, run it, please.”

Connor did just that, “No errors.”

Kamski frowned. He looked down and began scrolling through some reports.

"The other thing I can think of is they stole the broken RK800 and built it elsewhere - but they wouldn't have the appropriate software to run them."

"Could they have written new software?"

"Not quite, it's possible but they'll need high end tech that you'll only find at Cyber-"

The Chloe next to Kamski suddenly spasmed and stumbled to the ground. Kamski immediately ran to her side to help her up.

"Elijah!" Chloe gasped, "The deactivated RK800s aren't the correct ones."

Chloe glanced up to Connor, her eyes were pitying.

"The 'deactivated' RK800s were replaced with the faulty ones that never activated. Someone tampered with the serial numbers on them so our system didn't detect anything wrong. Chloe had to tear away each false plating on them."

Connor fell back from where he sat and you caught him. You held him in his arms as the information dawned on the both of you.

Connor wasn't the only RK800 active in Detroit.


	18. Chapter 18: Graveyard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yoooo thank you guys for 1000 kudos! That's insane! I really appreciate the support :D

Connor didn’t like what he heard at all. Cyberlife created him as a top of the line prototype for the police, and now there were possibly dozens of them out there causing destruction. The evidence, the way they left their crime scenes – they knew exactly how to work against Connor’s strengths because they _were_ him.

But there was something else Connor didn't want to be true.

“That doesn’t make sense!” he exclaimed, “If it really is another RK800 you would’ve been able to track it down!”

“Not if it’s a deviant,” Kamski said as he pulled up on his tablet. A large projection shot up from a nearby table and Kamski began to swipe in the air, controlling the new monitor.

“They have to be still machines in some way! There’s no way that- “

Connor felt you reach up to hold his hand. You looked worried, and Connor remembered again. He calmed himself down, as much as it was hard to accept that his… copies were the ones responsible for all this.

Connor had grown so much from when he was first sent to the DPD, it was a shame to think that the other RK800s out there didn’t experience the same things he did.

What was driving... ‘himself’ to fight for androids turning back into slaves?

“Good news is that because none of them are contacted with Cyberlife they won’t be able to upload their memories,” Kamski balled his hand into a tight fist, “We're going to have to destroy them all.”

Kamski sat down at a desk and began typing something furiously. It was the first time Connor had seen him this frantic. Kamski was cocky with a usually calm demeanour. But this situation is driving him into panic. It only made Connor more anxious at the severity of the situation.

“I’m going to have to write something to protect you against them. If those RK800 models grab a hold of you, then you could easily be converted by them because of your compatibility. Give me a few hours.”

Connor felt you hold onto him tightly.

“We should pass this on to the DPD,” you said.

“No. wait.”

You and Connor looked to Kamski. His brows were tightly knit, his knuckles were white, and his chest rose heavily with each breath. His fingers tapped a few times on the table before he let out a bothered huff.

“If you find any evidence on the RK800s, notify me first. Don’t notify the DPD until I’ve finished my work.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Connor exclaimed, “The DPD deserves to be notified just as much as you. We know you’re offering your support but- “

“No. They’ll only slow me down,” Kamski snapped, “I mean well, but surely you know what I need.”

You and Connor glanced at each other. It was a tough call to go against the rules, but Connor understood where Kamski was coming from. The process of getting access to evidence was always tricky, in the time Kamski would get approval to examine the evidence the other RK800s would probably had enough time to make their next move.

Connor noticed another Chloe had entered the lab with a glass of whisky in hand. She set it down quietly next to him, and despite Kamski’s anger he thanked Chloe quietly. He swiped a finger in the air and brought up a hologram of a map at another terminal. A bright red dot flashed at a large building.

“There. That’s where I was able to track the call from. It’s one of the old Cyberlife warehouses. I urge you to go now, we have to destroy them as soon as possible. But please- “He looked to the both of you, his eyes were pleading, “Contact me first.”

 “We’ll consider it,” you said. You tugged on Connor’s hand, “Let’s go. We have work to do.”

-

“[Y/N].”

You heard your name being called by one of the Chloes. She ran up to you and passed something in your hands.

“I know the current circumstances are quite… tense. But we’ve all been enjoying the messages you’ve been sending us- here, a gift.”

Kamski and Connor watched the two of you curiously as you accepted a small metallic case. The Cyberlife logo and your name was etched onto it. When you opened it, there was a sleek pair of glasses on the inside.

“We made this, a side project between all my sisters, to help in hopes that it would help you some day,” she said with a smile, “If you wear them you can analyse your surroundings just like androids can.”

You grasped the case excitedly in your hand. Holy shit, it was an amazing gift.

“Chloe, I- “

She pulled you into a hug, and you hugged her back.

“Stay safe, [Y/N]. We do not want to lose a friend,” Chloe said. She peered over her shoulder to Kamski. Despite the tense atmosphere from before, his expression softened at the interaction. It was fascinating and daunting at the same time, Chloe had become as human as Connor. Maybe she felt the same fears he had too.

A few other Chloes had appeared to say goodbye as the two of you exited Cyberlife HQ.

It was such a strange feeling of gratification. When you joined the DPD you barely had any interest in androids. But now, after meeting Connor, Markus, North, and Chloe, your life had never felt richer. You’re committed to help them to the best of your ability, and you’re not going to let them down.

 

\---

 

Hank and a few other officers from the DPD met you at the site. Nobody dared to enter the warehouse. The entrances were all rigged with heat triggered explosives, only an android could enter. Connor immediately volunteered.

You were obviously against this. What if they were hiding in there, waiting for him? But whatever could be in there could hold the key to catching the culprits once and for all.

Connor sat around waiting for Kamski to send over whatever protection he was preparing for him. You pressed your hand lightly against his back.

“How much do you think they’ll look like you?” you asked. The Connor you knew looked like a human, no LED, no android clothes – but they could easily change that too. The most unique thing about Connor appearance was his blue eye that he got from Kamski, but could they steal that from him too? Connor leaned into you, his body was cold in preparation for entering the site.

“I don’t know, but at least they don’t have access to my memories, so they don’t know me very well.”

“Do you think it was them following us at the park because they can’t learn about you through Cyberlife?”

“Probably.”

You knew what Connor was capable of. You didn’t doubt the possibility of other RK800s would’ve been watching through the DPD cameras or hacked into any of your personal terminals.

Furthermore, would they know about you? You’ve been involved in Connor’s life for a while now, could the RK800s be taking notes on you as well? You shivered at the thought.

It was scary to think that you might potentially encounter a doppelganger, especially after the two of you started something wonderful together. Even with Kamski’s code, it didn’t guarantee that it would be the same Connor when he came back. It dawned you on how replaceable Connor could be, how they could potentially erase his mind or replaced it with something completely different. You didn’t want to make any mistakes, you wanted to be sure that you knew exactly which one is the one you loved.

 “If anything happens and I need to know if you’re my Connor… tell me something that hasn’t happened yet.”

Connor glanced at you curiously, “What do you mean?”

“If the RK800s get a hold of you and know exactly what you’ve done until that moment, then they could easily trick me. So, tell me your plans. What you would like to do, what you’re curious about – something that isn’t tangible, okay?”

What made Connor unique was the personality he developed over the time you’ve known him. With every fibre of your being you wished that his mannerisms couldn’t be replicated, and that your Connor would always be the one you fell in love with.

Connor smiled in understanding, “Okay.”

A few minutes later, Kamski’s program was sent through. Connor promptly downloaded it and cringed at the feeling. He was ready to enter now, but he looked nervous.

Fear was holding him back, you could sense it. He was human now, and death meant much more to him. The pain, the loss – Connor pulled you in for a kiss.

It was even more passionate than the last time, but it was a different kind of passion. It was full of uncertainty and intense desire, almost forced. A hint of despair lingered with this kiss – like it could be his last.

A few of the officers stared at the two of you in disbelief, but you didn’t care. Let them think what they want, you were going to savour this moment. Luckily Hank was around to shoo them away to give the two of you some privacy, but time was almost up.

“I love you, Connor,” you whispered to him, “If anything happens please stay safe.”

Connor nudged his forehead into yours, “Same with you.”

You saw the artificial skin on one of his arms peel away, and you gently grabbed it. You held it up in the air. Connor didn’t seem to notice that it happened, his artificial skin quickly reverted to cover his shell. You smiled.

“You know, sometimes I wish I could connect with you like how other androids can,” you said. You let out a little amused huff, “But I guess we’ll have to do things the long way and talk through our feelings, huh?”

Connor shrugged, “Who knows, maybe Kamski will invent something.”

“I guess,” you chuckled. You reluctantly stepped away from him, Hank was signalling the two of you that it was time. With a heavy heart, you watched as Connor drew his gun and entered the warehouse as you stood by the sidelines.

You made you way to your position, one of the back entrances to the warehouse. You sat alone in the cold as you watched for any movement.

-

Connor entered the near pitch black abandoned warehouse, but he could still clearly with is android eyes. He saw where each trigger was for each of the explosive charges and he knew his body temperature wouldn’t set them off, but he did his best to avoid them with each step anyway. With the upgraded filters, Connor could keep his visual analysis going. There were no signs of life inside, but he did sense androids deeper into the abandoned facility.

There was a room deep in the facility where Connor could sense several androids, but most of them were weak – their signs were blinking.

Connor stopped when he detected a security camera hidden along the walls of the building. It was still active, and it watched over his path. If he’s dealing with another RK800 they would know if he disabled the camera, but he couldn’t find any other entrances to where he wanted to go.

He looked around and saw there were a few other androids wandering around the building, their conditions were good – were they the RK800s?

Connor estimated they would take approximately three minutes to get to his position. He would record as much footage of the place as possible and get out. Connor blinked and deactivated the camera. He sensed the wandering androids flinch as Connor ran in.

He froze when he entered the dimly lit room and saw the mess of android bodies. Many of the androids here were suspended in the air, a mismatch of parts barely keeping them together. While the rest were on the ground piling up in lifeless heaps. There were many terminals around the bodies with wires impaling almost all the deconstructed androids here.

There was a frequency that lingered in the space, the faint sounds of androids crying for their deaths.


	19. Chapter 19: Limitations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woot, the servers are back

Connor hesitated. He saw the ruthless torture that filled this room and he felt himself begin to panic. If he never became a deviant, he wouldn’t have known compassion. And yet, there was a deviant version him that was responsible of this cruelty, and that disturbed him.

Connor let out a long breath to calm himself. He steeled his thoughts and put them aside. There were more important things to do.

Connor looked at each of the terminals scattered around the room, they seem to be running some sort of scanning program. A row of android arms was on a table, some of them were dissected with blue blood and parts scattered around them.

Connor frowned. The arm of an android is responsible for the transferal of information, but not much information would be stored in it. What were the RK800s trying to achieve?

Connor glanced up and identified all the androids, some of them were the deviants that were reported missing by Markus.

Connor made his way towards a nearby terminal and tried to scan through as much information as possible. There were reports on trying to revert deviants back to their original machine states. But each attempt had failed, the androids returning to their deviant selves within the next few hours.

He also saw flashes of different locations, different key people, and information on Jericho. The ocean liner was destroyed, and they had reinstated Jericho as a building in Detroit, and the RK800 had information on the building’s guard patterns and security systems.

Connor hissed. The RK800s were stealing information of Jericho by kidnapping these androids and pulling them apart. But Connor still didn’t have any clear evidence to state why they were attacking Jericho and experimenting on the deviants.

He glanced up at them, some of them were looking at him, gasping soundlessly. Connor knew there was nothing he could do to help them, not with the time he had left and not with the explosive charges outside. One of the androids caught his attention though. Their eyes kept shifting to him and to one particular arm in the corner. Connor went to it and examined it closely. Wires were haphazardly jammed into it, but Connor could sense some information stored in it. Connor closed his eyes and connected to it.

_pR_Tec 3s 64R__200S th---AHnds. DoN’t L___ th3m Lnk haND2…ss-_

Connor staggered back from the screeching message. Whatever they were trying to get across it was too corrupted for him to understand. He wanted to know more, but when peered back to the android their lights had gone dim.

It was time to get out.

When Connor turned to leave, he swore when his sensors picked up two figures approaching him. His estimation was wrong. The RK800s were here.

Encountering them was going to be inevitable. Connor drew his gun and prepared for contact.

Connor made his way to the only exit. He knew the closest android was going to be to his right. Connor stepped out and pointed his gun, but the android hurled something at him. An empty crate hit Connor in the chest and he staggered back. A hand reached out and grabbed him while he was downed. Connor tried shoved them away. But they held on firmly. He went to aim his gun at the assailant’s head, but they swatted it away before he had a chance. Connor cursed and kicked, but then another arm came to hold him down.

They pulled him back into the low-lit room as Connor struggled. Connor could hear the other still active androids screech in sorrow for him. A mix of distorted noises that pleaded for his escape. The RK800s dragged him across the floor, the scattered parts dug and scratched Connor’s back painfully. He looked around desperately, trying to find some way to escape. But there was nothing. Connor peered up to his attackers, their eyes were trained on the surroundings just as much as he was.

They were running analysis on their own, they weren’t going to give him any opportunities at all.

One of them rolled on top of him and pinned Connor down while the other tried to connect with his arm. Connor struggled heavily as he tried to get his arm away from them. But it was two against one.

The attacker linked arms with Connor, the artificial skin pulling away. Connor felt flashes of data being forced into his system. He cried out in pain as the process sent agonising shocks across his body. Connor screamed and shouted in denial as he fought against whatever they tried to steal from him. But whatever the RK800 was trying to achieve, it wasn’t working. They cursed under their breath, and Connor took that opportunity to kick them away.

The first RK800 stumbled back, and Connor jabbed his fist into the one pinning him down. He felt pain spread across his knuckles, but the force was enough to make them loosen their grip.

Connor pushed the RK800 off him and crawled towards his gun. But before he could reach his it a terrible pain shot through his leg.

Connor glanced down and saw a metallic spike that had pierced through it. And Connor cried out in agony. It was the first time he ever felt pain this intense. He was shot through his body many times, but never with his nerve feedback on. Connor struggled on the ground as the attacker responsible stood up and put his fingers to their temple.

A blip went off in Connor’s sensors – they had set the charges to explode in a few minutes.

Then they walked away, taking Connor’s gun with them.

Connor scrambled to pull the spike out of his leg, but his fingers couldn’t get a proper hold. The pain was clouding his senses too much. But he didn't stop trying. He was determined to survive as he felt the unsettling sensation of his own thirium seeping from his wound.

-

You watched one of the entrance of the building anxiously. Your gun was drawn to shoot anyone who was suspicious, but how could you make that call if your suspects looked exactly like Connor? You couldn't stop thinking of the possibility. If the RK800 swapped their clothes with him and stole his blue eye, would you be able to tell them apart?

The RK900 eye would be incompatible without Kamski's upgrades, but the deception could buy enough time to achieve whatever they needed.

You kept your android glove on. If you had to fight one then at least it'll come in handy.

You caught a flash of movement, a figure that shifted and ran out one of the exits.

You called for backup and began your chase.

They were fast, but you were able to match their pace as they ran towards a fence. They slowed down as they tried to climb over it and you pointed your gun at them.

“Freeze! Police!”

The figure stood still and put their arms up in the air. You steeled yourself against who this figure might be. They weren't wearing Connor's clothes, but their height and build were the same. _It isn’t him. It isn’t him._

“Turn around and kneel down on the ground!” you called out.

They didn’t move, but instead they seemed… calm.

"Don't shoot [Y/N], it’s me! They're getting away!”

You gasped at the voice. It was Connor’s voice, but no- the other RK800s would have his voice too. But your moment of hesitation was all the android needed to spin around and aim their gun at you.

It was uncanny, they really were identical to Connor. They shot the gun from your hand with inhuman accuracy. And now you were the one with your hands up. You could never mentally prepare for something this bizarre, but you still felt angry at yourself for falling for it.

The RK800 looked at you curiously, intimidatingly.

“I have to thank you,” they said, their voice was cold and mocking, “Because of you, Connor made the mistake of maintaining his nerve feedback.”

A cold shiver traveled down your spine. What did they do to Connor? You heard static in your earpiece.

_“The place is going to blow in a few minutes! Everybody evacuate now!”_

The RK800 seemed to have heard that too. He tilted his head to the side, like Connor would when he was curious. But no, it wasn’t the same. There was nothing innocent about the way they did it. There was something twisted and calculating about the way they moved. And it frightened you.

“Answer my question and I might let you live,” the RK800 demanded, “What are you to Connor?”

You tensed. That’s right, the RK800 is still trying to learn about your Connor. You tried to stall for time, but the RK800 rolled their eyes and groaned. They tightened their grip on the gun and gestured you to walk backwards, closer to the warehouse rigged to explode.

“There, are you going to talk now? What. Are. You. To. Connor?”

You grimaced at the sight of the gun being pointed at you. The pressure was getting to you, it doesn’t seem like you have a choice.

"I work with him at the Detroit Police Department."

"I already know that."

You paused. What else were you supposed to say? You cringed at the thought, but maybe that might be what the RK800 was looking for.

“I’m his lover,” you said. The RK800 laughed in amusement.

“Androids don’t fall in love with humans. I know you contact Cyberlife frequently. Are you sent by Elijah Kamski to watch over Connor?”

“No. I just work with him as a police officer."

The android looked disappointed with you answer. Perhaps the RK800 couldn’t understand why Connor would spend so much time with you if you were just another cop. You saw as the android’s grip on the gun falter momentarily, and you immediately took that as an opportunity to strike.

You were severely outmatched, all you had was the element of surprise. The RK800 pulled their arm away in anticipation of you swatting away the gun, but you faked the action. Instead, you brought your gloved hand towards their stomach and forced the panel to open.

There was a layer of clothes that got in the way, but you still felt their stomach hollow out. You reached in and pressed hard, rupturing the central tubes in their system.

A spray of blue blood splattered from the inside and the RK800 staggered back. That’s when you swatted the gun away, clattering to the side. You swerved to their behind and pushed them on their knees. You placed your palm on their head and took out your roll of android bandages.

“Tell me your plans or else I’ll let you bleed out!” you ordered. You tried to intimidate them but the RK800 didn’t look phased at all.

“You think I’ll just give away my plans just like that? You’re an idio- “

You sent a low powered shock to their scalp and it spasmed on the ground.

“Tell me!”

The RK800 laughed. Why was it so calm as they were bleeding to death? It relaxed in your grasp.

“You think losing this android is going to impact the mission? Well you’re wrong.“

A gunshot erupted, and you felt the RK800 in your hand forced out of your grip. Blue blood was splattered across your body. There was a wound across the android's temple.

You looked up and saw another RK800 holding a gun. It pointed it to you next.

"I have enough bodies to spare-"

“[Y/N]! Run!”

The RK800 was tackled to the ground. You saw the familiar clothes of the new RK800. They looked to you, a blue eye glinting int he dark. This one was the real Connor.

Connor pushed up from the ground and ran to you. He immediately grabbed your arm and tried to flee from the blast radius, but he was struggling. A steady flow of thirium leaked from his leg prevented him from running at full speed. That’s when you heard it.

A muffled series of explosions happen from inside the building, and the two of you were too close.

You watched as Connor wrapped his body around yours, shielding you from the blow. A wave of force hit the both of you as you two are thrown across the air. You painfully skidded along the concrete floor, the weight of Connor’s body on top of you. You feared the worst and immediately checked on him. He blinked and gasped at the pain – at least he’s alive.

The two of you got up from the ground with Connor's arm over your shoulder, and looked at the inferno. You saw the first RK800 amongst the explosion, their body thrown and scattered across the ground. It was unnerving to see the android with such likeness to Connor dead, but you reassured yourself that it wasn’t him.

But as you searched the flames for the second RK800, there was no sign of it anywhere.

You tried to help Connor towards a safe area, but he began to sag in your grasp. His eyes glossed over, his body going limp.

“Connor!” you cried out, “Stay with me!”

You stayed alert, keeping an eye out for the missing RK800 as you peeled up Connor's shirt. One side of his body was heavily scratched, the other side was covered in burns. His head was undamaged. The problem must be in his internal workings then. You pressed your gloved palm into his stomach to see if the explosion damage any of his insides. You checked, there was nothing wrong.

Connor reached up and grabbed your arm.

"I'm f-fine, but... t-the pain...!"

You held Connor by his arms, steadying him.

"Turn it off! The nerve feedback-"

"No!" he protested, "No! I am human. I-I am..."

You watched as Connor went limp in your grasp, blacking out from the pain. You saw the some of the other officers run over to help, and you looked around for Hank. But as you searched the are you saw a shape in the dark, and you tensed. In the distance a few figures were standing over the fence, watching you.

They receded into the shadows and disappeared.


	20. Chapter 20: Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, this chapter gets into pretty explicit territory but I feel like the story overall is at mature so I won't change the rating. So, please be aware that this is a smut chapter and if that's uncomfortable for you in any way please skip over this chapter. Otherwise, hope you guys enjoy :)
> 
> p.s. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

_I am human._

Those words pulsed through Connor’s mind. Through all the terrible pain. His leg, the scrapes, and the burns-

_I am human._

It kept him going. It reminded him that with the pain will come the opposite. Take the good with the bad.

_I am-_

The last thing he saw before he felt himself shut down from being overwhelmed was your expression. Full of fear, full of pain and anger. Connor could only hope that you would experience the good soon, you had suffered so much already working on this case. Your voice pierced his mind. _Turn it off!_ But no, Connor planned to endure it all. For himself. To become human.

Darkness. A chill. Connor felt scared again. But he held on. He held onto the hope that he would see the light again. Feel the warmth on his skin. Feel the comfort of your presence.

And he woke up.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, and each blink helped with his focus. He looked around to a strangely familiar place – your home. Although, your living room was now fitted with an array of android equipment. When Connor tried to move, nothing happened. His movement was disabled. He glanced around and noticed that he was upright – the standard android repair position. Connor’s clothes were gone (probably fabric scraps at this point), save for his underwear.

“There, that should go there.”

Connor lit up at the voice. It was yours. You were by the front door ushering a person in. Connor spotted the familiar dusty looking coat – it was Hank. He placed a box on the ground, ‘Cyberlife’ was printed clearly on it.

“Are you going to be alright repairing him, kid?” Hank asked you.

“Yes. Kamski sent me everything I needed.”

“Hmph, this place might as well be a mini Cyberlife. He wasn’t kidding when he said that he’d help.”

Hank began to walk to the door.

“I gotta go back to the station, figure this shit out.”

“Sure. Thanks, Hank.”

Just as he was almost out, he stopped in his tracks. Hank lingered for a moment, looking severely conflicted.

“You. You gotta stop getting hurt.”

Connor saw you tense. Hank’s words resonated with you.

“Him too,” he idly pointed to Connor, “Every time I see the two of you go out on a mission its always one of you ending up in bandages… or that.”

You stayed quiet, contemplative. You knew the risks, but now the two of you had to live for each other. How many times will it take for the two of you to get hurt until either of you broke? Connor felt guilty too.

“I’m sorry, Hank.”

Hank exhaled, “I know it can’t be helped with the case and all. But… speaking from experience, you won’t know how much someone means to you until you lose them. What the two of you have is great, but again, take care of yourselves.”

You nodded, and you closed the door behind Hank as he left. You gave yourself a moment to collect your thoughts before you reached down to one of the Cyberlife crates. You grabbed a few tools and pulled out an android arm. Connor’s one was probably damaged beyond repair, he needed a full replacement it seemed.

You approached Connor and you noticed his opened eyes. You placed the things down and you went to cradle his cheek. Connor wanted to say something, but he couldn’t speak.

“I’m just going to finish these repairs and I’ll let you go, just bear with me,” you told him. You picked up the tools again and started replacing his broken parts.

It felt like an agonising amount of time. Not the same agony that came from pain, but the agony that came from denial. Connor wanted to feel you in his arms, the rise and fall of your chest – he wanted you more than ever.

A growing desire ignited a void within him. A heat that was suppressed. Connor knew exactly which setting it was.

Maybe it was desperation. Maybe his curiosity finally reached a limit. But before any more danger was going to happen to the both of you, he wanted to feel what it would be like to explore your body. And his.

Your fingers carefully glided across his torso as you examined the damage. It left a trail of your warmth that faded like a star. Connor felt like he was going crazy. You were so close, yet he couldn’t do anything.

You detached his burnt arm, replacing it with a new one. It clicked into the socket nicely, and Connor felt the newly formed connection. _Hurry. Please._

His other arm was scratched up, but not entirely damaged. You lifted away bad panels and slotted in clean ones. _Please._

The last thing to replace was his leg. You knelt and replaced the damaged section, and Connor felt the functionality return to that part of him. You were almost done. Connor was almost free.

You stood up, surveying the quality of your repair, and completely unaware of the storm you were about to unleash. Connor watched as you reached up to his temple. You sighed and activated him.

Connor felt his functionality slowly return to him. He planted his feet firmly on the floor and flexed his arms, getting his bearings back.

He looked to you, turned his nerve feedback to 50%, enabled his arousal, and walked up to you.

It must’ve been unexpected, the speed that he suddenly approached you. You took a few steps back into a wall. _Good, you’ll have something to support you._ Connor pressed you against it and kissed you.

The spark that ignited within his core was staggering. The growing need to feel you was finally being sated, and it excited him beyond anything he’s ever experienced before. Connor brought his free arm and slid it up your shirt. He felt the softness of your skin underneath his fingertips, and he travelled higher up – under your bra.

Connor's lips moved with yours. He was desperate, forceful, buy rightly so. He wanted you. And it seemed like you could barely keep up.

You let out a strangled moan beneath his lips. _That’s right, you needed to breathe._ Connor pulled away for a second and let you gasp for air.

“Connor, what is- “

“I need you, [Y/N]. Please!”

You didn’t resist when he pressed his body closer to yours. His went in for another kiss when his leg slipped between yours. You gasped at the sensation. He paused. Connor glanced at you, _did you like that?_

He did it again, another gasp. Connor surveyed your emotions, it fascinated him how easily that elicited a response from you. You brought your arms forward to hold onto his shoulders, your whole body was red with heat.

Connor felt the uncomfortable weight below his stomach again. Watching you fall apart under his touch, your face twisted in pure bliss – he wanted to do more, it made the throbbing worse too. But Connor felt like he was reaching the limits of his understanding. He didn’t know what else to do besides kissing you and placing pressure between your legs.

You seemed to have caught on to his moment of confusion. Connor allowed you to take the lead.

You pulled him into your bedroom and gently pushed him onto the bed. You guided your hands up his torso to lie him down, the sensation made a moan escape Connor’s lips. You took a deep breath and straddled on top of him.

“How much do you know, Connor?” you asked breathlessly. Connor frowned for his answer. Your hand slid down and brushed the bulge between his legs. The slightest touch was enough to send him clutching the sheets beneath his hands. It was so unexpectedly intense that Connor had to take a moment to recollect his thoughts. You smiled, seemingly satisfied at his reaction.

A glint of mischievousness crossed your expression, and you gave Connor a soft kiss on the forehead.

“It’ll all be worth it in the end, just be patient with this,” you muttered. Connor felt your breath tickle his ear, it made him flinch at the sensation. Your kisses began to trail down his body – he loved the softness of your lips. When you kisses reached his collar bone, you sat up and supported yourself by placing your hands on his chest. You took a deep breath, then your hips descended.

Connor didn’t notice himself groaning loudly at the sensation when you began to move your hips against his clothed member. Your pants slipped lower and lower the more you ground your hips against him, and Connor watched with awe at your movements. Each stroke made his temperature rise, he was losing control of his body to twitches and moans – it felt amazing.

"Wha- what are you doing?"

“This is t-teasing,” you said, barely able to get the words out. “B-by delaying sex, the feeling o-of satisfaction is m-much greater.”

There was something better than this? Connor was already drowning in pure bliss. He felt that his body was overheating beyond his limits. But you were right. He felt like something was being held back. Something Connor was keen to find out.

He stared on the sliding band of your pants, wouldn’t it feel better with it off? He reached out to tug at them. You paused for a moment, then complied. You separated from Connor for a moment. The sudden disappearance of the sensation made him whimper. He missed it instantly. You quickly pulled away your pants and underwear, exposing your bare legs and returned to position.

You leaned forward to kiss him again, Connor grabbing onto your waist to help support your body.

“Are you ready?”

“F-for what?” Connor had no clue.

You raised an eyebrow and smirked. He felt your fingers hook underneath his underwear and pulled it away.

“This.”

Connor watched as you lowered yourself slowly onto him, and the both of you shivered at the feeling. Your mouth was agape, a strangled cry came from your throat. Your toes and fingers curled as you progressed, a look of absolute ecstasy on your face. Connor closed his eyes at the incredible feeling of you. It was overwhelming him. His body lurched forward, unable to control the spasms that reverberated through his system.

Connor's instinct was to wrap you in his arms as he adjusted to the sensation. He tried not to hug you too tightly and hurt you, but it was a struggle to keep his senses in check.

“You okay?’ you panted. Connor felt how quickly your heart hammered in your chest.

“I-I think… nngh- so.”

It took a moment for him to settle down and regain control of himself again. You asked if you could start moving and he nodded. You started slow and gentle, enough to give Connor a chance to ease into the growing heat from the stimulation. He loved everything about it, the slow grind, the sensation, and the way you looked sweating and blushing above him.

He leaned forward to kiss you. His fingers trailed and dug into your skin. There was something about marking your body with streaks of red that he loved. Everything felt so intimate and raw that it fulfilled something he never he'd imagine to experience. You were his. And he was yours.

Connor tensed when he felt something stronger rise within him, he let out a muffled groan – _what is that?_ You seemed to know, and you picked up the pace in response. Connor cried out at the rush of pleasure and gripped your body harder. One hand slipped into your hair, his other hand balled into a fist as he braced for the spiking heat within him.

Then a breaking point.

Connor let out long moan. A pleasure beyond anything he’s ever experienced possessed his body, shaking his core and flooding his mind with things he couldn’t define. His limbs were locked in place, the spasm ripped through his body like a shockwave. Then… malfunction.

Connor fell back onto the bed, his body burnt out and unable to move. He panted heavily, trying to pump the thirium around his system. His sweat glands were working overtime, but they didn’t help with the peak of his body heat. He settled into the mattress, sinking into the softness of it. He felt like he needed to hibernate after something that intense. Connor’s mind was in a long haze until you reached down and brushed his hair gently.

“T-that was… beyond anything I-,” Connor wheezed. He could barely speak. You pressed your lips tenderly to his forehead.

“Are you alright?” you asked, “I figured that was your first time. Do you need anything?”

“N-no. I just need a m-moment for my systems to normalise.”

Connor struggled to move his arm but fought against it to brush his thumb against your heated cheek. You smiled and nudged into his palm. You were absolutely beautiful.

“I love you,” he said. “My existence has never felt this real- I… I have never felt this alive, and I couldn’t imagine a better life without you.”

His arms wobbled as he forced himself to sit up. Connor was determined, his gaze was focused as he closed the distance between you and him. Connor gave you one last kiss before his systems shut down to perform an emergency reboot and recharge his body.

Or the more human definition: sleep.

-

It was quite a marvel staring at his now resting body. Patches of blue blushing, the glistening of sweat, and the now steady rise and fall of his chest. Connor was innocently sprawled across your bed, content and comfortable.

Yours. This was your Connor.

You smiled from ear to ear as you slid into spot next to him and snuggled against his cooling body. You were almost afraid to fall asleep, but you assured yourself this wasn’t a dream.

You fell asleep in awe that your reality was so wonderful. To live in a time and space where the two of you met. To be in love with an existence so pure and amazing. Your consciousness comfortably blinked away knowing that you’ll wake up with him by your side.


	21. Chapter 21: Dead Ends

Three minutes.

It took Hank a total of three minutes of awkward staring to figure out you guys had done it. He didn’t need to say anything, just a quick shrug of the shoulders and you’ve buried your embarrassment in your hands.

You were partially expecting it when he almost instantly figured out that the two of you became a couple, but not this quickly.

Connor didn’t look ashamed at all. Rather, he seemed confused to why you would be self-conscious about this. He tried to coax you out of your embarrassment, but it only made you shyer with Hank watching the both of you.

You were sure to abstain from any public displays of affection. What were the tells? Hank didn’t let you know.

You expected for Hank to scowl at the two of you eternally like he usually does with everything. But instead he looked proud. He was happy for you.

-

Everyone involved in the case, including Markus, North, even Kamski, were called to the station today for a large meeting. Finding out that the suspects were an unknown amount of RK800 androids complicated a lot of things.

There was one more person that was to join you too.

You saw Gavin walking towards you. With Kamski confirming that the voice recording was replicated by an RK800 android, it meant that Gavin was innocent and he’s back on the case.

Gavin looked more tired he has ever been, but more relaxed. The blue ice affected his system badly and you heard he’s been going through medication to help his body to recover. He should be resting, but he seemed like the type of person who would be antsy being able to do nothing about the case.

Gavin held two coffee cups in his hand and set them down in front you and Connor harshly. Connor tilted his head to the side.

“But I don’t drink coffee.”

Gavin said nothing and walked away.

It was strangely the nicest thing he’s ever done for the both of you. Hank was a little surprised too. Connor was confused about the gesture though, so you mentioned that people had different ways to show their appreciation. He seemed to understand now. Hank drank Connor’s coffee for him.

It was about time that the meeting started, so the three of you made your way towards the allocated room. The last person to arrive at the meeting was Kamski to nobody’s surprise. Chloe was with him too.

Kamski walked to the beat of his own drum, ignoring Fowler and going up to Connor first. He examined your repairs and hummed in satisfaction – you did a good job, he said. Then he went to Markus. There wasn’t any odd examinations or questions, but rather there was something about the way Kamski looked at Markus that felt sombre.

“How’s Carl?” he asked. Markus gave a small shrug.

“I visit him every day now.”

Kamski sighed and moved into his seat.

With everyone in their seats, Fowler started the meeting. Connor presented his findings and showed everyone photos of his own vision. North gasped at the sight of the desecrated deviants, Markus let out a low frustrated huff.

“They were trying to revert them back to machines and experimenting with their arms,” Connor said, “When I was attacked they grabbed my arm and tried to convert me. But thanks to Kamski their conversion didn’t work.”

“What did Kamski get you to download?” North asked.

“I disabled the data transferal function along with some added precautions,” Kamski said, “Although it feels like I’ll need to update it if the RK800s are interested in data transferal.”

“They also had information on Jericho,” Connor continued, “They know your building’s layout and security patterns.”

Markus frowned, “I’m used to being targeted even after the revolution was a success, but never to this extent.”

“And how do we know if the RK800 in the room is the good one?” Gavin accused.

“My appearance for one. I am equipped with a blue-grey eye from an RK900 android which improves my analysis capabilities, as well as a… lie detector on my left hand.”

“But can’t they steal those things from you?” Gavin asked. His tone wasn’t as accusatory as it used to be.

“They can, but they won’t be able to use any of the functions without the proper software- “

“-Which only _I_ can distribute,” Kamski said. “The moment any of the RK800s get desperate and try to break into Cyberlife, they’ll all be deactivated on the spot.”

Connor tensed.

“With the exception of you, of course. I made sure to exclude your serial number from the wipe.”

“No, don’t.”

Everyone looked to Connor, his face twisted with uncertainly.

“We have no idea what the RK800s are capable of. I have no doubt they’ll find some way to take control of me or impersonate as me. If you’re going to wipe all the RK800s… don’t exclude me.”

“Connor…” Hank sighed.

The room was silent for a moment. You held your breath. Connor was trapped in the middle of all this. It was hard to work alongside us when we were going against him essentially. Connor glanced to you, and he gave a small smile for reassurance. Your mind just ended up swimming with more worries. Did he already accept the possibility of his death?

“I won’t unleash the mass wipe when Cyberlife gets tampered then. You’re too important to be destroyed amongst this mess,” Kamski said. Fowler looked at him disapprovingly, and you understood why. One life to save thousands, and Kamski was risking the loss of both. Markus and Hank sighed in relief though.

“Do we know anything about where the RK800s could possibly be hiding now?” asked North.

“No. It seems like they’re playing safe, only communicating amongst themselves,” Connor replied, “The explosion destroyed any evidence in their previous hideout. We have no leads on where they are.”

You scowled. This was a tough case indeed.

Kamski waved his hand at Chloe. She placed her fingers to her temple and the two Jericho leaders blinked at whatever she sent them.

“This is a modified patch of what I gave to Connor. I’ll need you guys to connect to Cyberlife too, so I can keep sending you updates. If we can’t think of anything then might as well take precautions now.”

 “Is there any way to distribute them to the rest of our people?” Markus asked. Kamski shook his head.

“Nothing strong enough for the RK800s abilities, no.”

Markus frowned, and North glanced at him. They seemed to share the same concerns.

“What’s wrong, Markus?” you asked.

“Recently a few of our people have been leaving Jericho to pursue their own interests,” Markus looked to Connor, “Those same androids were in those photos you showed us.”

Hank rubbed his temples in aggravation, “Kidnapping and now straight up mind control?”

“If the RK800s are responsible for somehow manipulating our people, then we want something to protect them too,” North said.

Kamski sat back in his chair, “I’m sorry. The patch is too complex, I can only protect a certain amount of people.”

“If you want to keep them all safe why don’t you keep them under curfew?” Gavin said, “Or prevent them from leaving until things smooth over.”

“But our people’s freedom- “

“Their safety is more important right now, North,” Markus interrupted her. He looked up to Hank, “We’ll implement something like that. They might not be happy, but they’ll understand.”

Fowler sat up, looking happy that Jericho probably won’t get involved in the case if they have a curfew. He approved the order and Markus sent out a message to his people.

The conversation returned to speculating the next step with how to find the RK800s. Connor was often brought up as the closest link since the RK800 that was shot in the head was damage beyond repair. The bullet wound damaged a vital data storage unit and no information could be salvaged from it. But everyone was hesitant when it came to putting Connor in danger, especially since he was the easiest to convert out of everybody else.

There was also the message the deviant tried to get across before it shut down. The best they could decipher it was its plea to not link arms – that was self-explanatory enough. As for the rest of the message Chloe volunteered to fully translate it just in case.

Every topic went into dead ends, everyone was getting frustrated. Gavin and North eventually started fighting about the best approach and the two of them had to be excused to cool off. Markus remained rational throughout the whole thing, although it was obvious to see how much of a toll it was taking on him.

You were silent most of the time, but it wasn’t hard to see that you were probably the most irritated. Connor was your lover, and yet you could sense an air of suspicion around him. You knew that the Connor that sat next to you was innocent, he hasn’t left your sight since yesterday. Every hint of an accusation was justified, but it still chipped away at you.

You had no doubts, but the doubts of your friends weighed heavier on your fears.

The last thing you wanted was everyone here to turn on Connor.

 

\---

 

The meeting was fruitless. All the DPD could do was to check several different locations for any signs of the RK800s in hiding. When the meeting ended Connor offered to check the RK800 hideout again, his upgrades could pick something up. But he was denied leaving. If he did he would be out in the open, he needed to be safe.

“Just stay at the DPD and we’ll pass on any evidence we find,” Fowler ordered him.

With nothing to do, Connor sat helplessly at his desk, unable to do what he did best. With a heavy heart you left with Gavin and Hank to investigate weak links. It was all driving to places for nothing. You spent most of the time in the car staring out into the streets of Detroit. There were less people streets, and they were almost abandoned when night came.

The city knew about the android feud and nobody wanted to get caught in it. It was rough for the city to be as scared as the deviant revolution. You just hoped there would be a good ending to this rebellion too.

The three of you got out for food. There weren’t that many places open, but you still managed to find somewhere to eat. You finished your food early, you were too stressed to be hungry. You needed to take your mind off things.

“Where are you going?” Gavin called out.

“I need to walk. Being in the car all day is cramping up my legs,” you replied. Gavin took a second to think before he quickly ate up the rest of his food.

“Don’t go alone. You never know if those fuckers are out there,” he said as he caught up to you. Hank gave him a frown, but he said nothing. Gavin was right after all.

You told them your encounter with the RK800 at the meeting. They seem disinterested in you and only wanted information on Connor. But because you were able to disable one of them that might’ve changed. Would the RK800s see you as a threat?

You and Gavin walked around the block quietly, the roads only lit by the streetlights. The Fall temperatures made the cold winds sting your cheeks, but besides that being able to breathe the fresh air was nice.

“I think I see it now.” Gavin cupped his hands to his mouth to warm his fingers. “Why you think Connor is alive.”

“Yeah?”

“… Yeah.”

Gavin didn’t say anymore. He wasn’t the type to explain himself anyway. A subconscious weight you held onto lifted from your chest, it was good to hear that he was on the same page as you now.

You turned the corner, you were almost back to where Hank was parked. Gavin slowed a bit behind you, so you turned to check on him. There was a glint of movement in the alley behind him.

The figure saw that you spotted them and slinked into the shadows. Could it be one of the RK800s? You wanted to chase after them, but Gavin stopped you.

“It might be a trap. We should return to Hank.”

“But we don’t have any leads,” you protested. Gavin winced.

“I know, but we aren’t dealing with idiots. They must’ve planned this out.”

Gavin tugged you on the arm. “Come on.”

He was right. It pissed you off, but he was still right. You followed him and the two of you quickly paced back to Hank’s car.

How long until the RK800s slip again? You remembered how easily they could kill their own, they had people to spare. But the DPD didn’t have that luxury. Everyone was in danger, and none of them could be spared.

You cursed as you felt the chill on your back. Not just from the bitter wind, but also from the feeling of being watched.


	22. Chapter 22: Prove Yourself

You fled the streets of Detroit from whatever was lingering in the shadows. Your fears nipped at your heels as you quickly walked away. Even though you knew you were safe it still felt like you were on thin ice.

You and Gavin returned to Hank fine, but it was straight back to the DPD after you reported what happened. If you were as much of a target as Connor, then things were going to change again. You didn’t want to be held down like Connor just because your life was in danger. Risks are necessary in this field of work.

You grit your teeth at the thought, but there was another hard truth to it. You were more expendable than Connor.

But you’re not hopeless. In fact, you had a plan in mind that you weren’t afraid to carry out. Everyone wanted the case to the be resolved as soon as possible, and you were ready for whatever they were going to throw at you.

You were going to protect him.

You told Hank and Gavin your idea in the car ride back.

-

Connor heard about your run in with the suspicious figure and ran up to greet you when you returned. It was awfully boring and at the same time nerve wracking to be left behind at the station. He’s never experienced something like this before, where he was ordered not to work.

“Connor, I need to talk to you,” you said to him. You tugged on his arm and pulled him to a secluded area. There was a sense of urgency lingering over you. Once you two were alone you held Connor’s hand in yours. You cupped it desperately, your fingers clutching tightly. You were nervous yet determined.

“I have a plan. If I’m as much of a target as you, use me as bait.”

Connor immediately opened his mouth to protest but you interrupted him.

“We have no leads, Connor. If you’re too important then send me instead.”

“No!” Connor protested, “You’re important to me. You can’t just- “

“If we don’t do anything they’ll just get to you eventually!”

“We can stop them before that happens!”

“How do you know?!”

Connor hesitated, and cursed under his breath. You’re right. His calculations and predictions were against what he wanted. What you were offering was the best possibility for finding new leads.

“You never know,” Connor was lying to himself and he knew it, “Something might turn up while we wait. You don’t have to put yourself in danger.”

You grimaced then pulled closer to him. You pressed you head into his chest and Connor reached his arms around to hug you.

“I knew you were going to be a pain to convince,” you nervously chuckled. “But I can’t live with the idea that you’re going to be taken away by those… corrupted androids.”

Connor felt himself in a looping predicament. Neither of you were willing to sacrifice each other for the case. And yet, the situation will escalate to a point where it’ll become unstable if no action was taken. At this point, it was who will give in first.

You were human. Your mind was safe from the RK800s, but you were not as fast or as strong as them. What could he do to help with that?

Connor pushed away from the hug and pulled you towards the gym.

-

When you arrived, it was fortunate that it was empty. Connor locked the door behind him and pulled away his tie. He let it fall to the ground as he took off his jacket too.

“Fight me, [Y/N],” Connor demanded. “If you can beat me then I’ll let you carry out the mission.”

It was so sudden that you stumbled as you pulled away a layer of your clothes as well. Your heart was pounding at the thought of proving yourself. You examined Connor’s glare. Cold, focused – he wasn’t going to hold anything back. You didn’t plan to either.

There wasn’t going to be any firearms. It was obvious that an android like Connor would be able to aim perfectly every time. Save for when they escaped with the police issued weapons and faked those ‘missed’ shots. The best situation you could opt for was this – hand to hand combat with no weapons.

You stepped up into the ring, and Connor dashed towards you with no warning.

It caught you off guard, but not too badly as you slid to his side. Or so you thought.

With nothing held back Connor was as swift and precise as a nightmare. His hand grabbed for your flailing arm and pulled you into him. His fist collided with your stomach and you let out a pained cry. You stumbled onto you back as you clutched at the spreading pain. For a second you relived the moment when you stomach was cut up badly, the pain made you linger on the floor in shock.

But no. You had to get up. You needed to prove to Connor that you could overcome this encounter. Connor was doing this because he loved you, and he’s going to be sure as hell that you’re going to survive this. You closed your eyes for a moment.

 _Fast. Strong._ How were you going to beat him?

Connor stood up straight and watched you quietly. He wasn’t going to give you any hints. You had to figure this out yourself. You thought back to how you won against the RK800.

You had the element of surprise. The RK800 underestimated you and you had…

You reached into your pocket and slipped your hand into the android glove.

When you stood up you did so quickly. Your prediction was right, Connor went for you the moment you were up. You blocked his first strike with your arms. You held them up to your chest at the first jab, then the second, the third swung wide and you ducked. You immediately reached out to touch his stomach panel, but his knee almost collided with your face. You barely caught the blur of it in time, pulling your face out of the way.

Connor was grabbing your hunched body, preventing you from standing up. You were at a disadvantage here, barely able to parry the kicks that he delivered. He wasn’t going to give you any opportunities to open his stomach panel either. That would be the same for the corrupted RK800s, they probably passed that on that night.

In your own research you knew there were other panels around the android’s body you could unlatch. You took a risk and tried to grab for his leg. But you were too late.

The knee collided with your face and you stumbled back at the force of it. You missed your opportunity. Connor was bringing his elbow in to seal the deal. _Arm panel._

You parried his arm up and for a second you saw a moment of shock light up in Connor’s expression. You brought your glove to the arm panel around his bicep. You felt the panel beneath his clothes slide away, exposing the inner workings. Because it was done by the glove he wouldn’t be able to close it up himself.

You knew where the latch was to detach his arm, but he jumped away before you had the chance. Connor was leaning with his exposed arm away from you. _Great, now what?_

Connor dashed for you and you went in for a punch to the face. But he ducked - his leg swept across yours. You fell to the ground with a grunt and before he brought his foot down to stomp you rolled to your side.

You were ready for his leg this time. Once his foot was planted on the ground you reached for it and exposed the panel just above his foot. Your fingers dug into it and you tried to deactivate his foot, but before you could he brought his grappled leg to kick you with more force than you ever anticipated. You felt the pulsing ache of a bruise across your cheek, but you held strong. You detached his foot.

Connor stumbled back. His foot was left behind and he struggled to stand on a stump. You knew you had him.

You ran up to him and targeted his leg, tripping him over in your favour. Connor did his best to fight you off but his balance would fail him every time. That’s when you detached his arm too for good measure.

Connor’s arm hung uselessly in the sling of his clothes and he fell to the ground. You circled around him and pressed your palm into the back off his head.

There was no more movement. The gym was quiet save for the heavy breathing that echoed in the air. But it was only your breathing. The heat of Connor’s head sudden spiked, your hand pulled away at the burning pain.

You stumbled back and prepared yourself for another attack. Connor took a step up and spun to look at you front on. He was smiling, looked proud as fell forward with a wheeze.

“Connor!” the fight was over, and you ran to him. Connor started to breathe heavily, and his sweat glands activated. You reached over to his detached foot and slot it back in. You unbuttoned his shirt and did the same to his arm too. Luckily you weren’t forceful enough to break the latches. You watched as his foot rolled and his arm twitched back to life.

“That was risky- “you gasped to catch your breath, “-raising your temperature like that.”

“You’re fighting an android,” Connor wheezed, “You have to remember that we are capable of doing something like that in dire situations.”

His body was still burning up though, you couldn't touch him for long. Shit, this seemed bad. He was overheating badly, and his sweat was cooling him down too slowly. You stood up and dragged him towards the showers.

You felt your hands stinging at the high heat, but you grit through it until you got him under a shower head. You turned it on.

Cold water rushed down on the both of you. You shivered at the contact and Connor let out a gasp of relief. For a moment the two of you sat under the shower quietly, trying to recover from the fight. Your body throbbed in pain all around, and the cold water helped distract you from the pain somewhat. Connor sat up against the wall and reached up to turn the water off.

You and Connor were still clothed and dripping wet now. You had won against him. You proved that you were strong enough to fight the other RK800s. And it seemed that Connor was ready to accept that… after he pulled you towards him.

You were on top of him as the two of you tangled each other’s embrace. The kiss was rough, and the sensation distracted you from the pain of your forming bruises. You pressed your hands against the wall behind him while his hands held your waist, holding you in place as the two of you continued to drown in bliss.

When will be next time the two of you kissed like this? You were going to be thrown in danger again. You took this moment as a reminder for who you were protecting, and you’re going to make sure you’re going to be able to be in his arms again.

The tiles were slippery but it didn't break the connection between you two. Your body was heating up, and the water droplets on Connor's body were already turning as warm as him. His teeth trailed down your skin as he parted your clothes away. Connor's lips pressed in between the valley of your breasts, his eyes glanced up and you shivered. You've never seen him this possessive, he was needy, hungry for you. You were his.

Connor's lips fell away, leaving a mark near your heart. You wanted to do the same. You knew it would just heal over, but you wanted to show the same intimacy.

He was already shirtless when you trailed a line of kisses down his jaw, to his neck and onto his chest. He moaned at each one.

You gasped when you felt something hard press between your legs, and you staggered back. Your senses kicked back into you and you remembered where you were.

“Connor, we should stop,” you breathed, “We’re… still at the station.”

“Oh,” Connor said disappointingly, “Later then?”

You laughed, “Maybe. My chances of returning seem pretty high if I was able to beat you.”

The two of you stood up carefully as to not slip on the wet tiles and left the bathroom.

-

“What the fuck happened?” Hank exclaimed. Gavin looked just as astonished and confused.

It must’ve been a sight to see the two of you exit the locked gym. You only had a spare jumper in your locker, so your hair and the lower half of your body were still wet. Connor didn’t have anything to change into, but he could lower his temperature settings for now. Either way, both of you were making damp puddles on the ground beneath you.

“We fought,” you said.

“Which _kind?”_

“Nothing relationship related. Just a spar to see if she was capable of winning against an RK800 in hand to hand combat,” Connor tried to reassure Hank.

“Oh. Good?” Hank sighed, still unsure what to think about the whole ordeal. He scratched his head, “Jesus, you two may be the weirdest couple I know.”

You laughed and then laughed harder when you saw Gavin’s expression. Pure disbelief was across his usually scowling face. Was it because you beat Connor? Or did he not realise you two were actually a couple until now? Or both? Either way, he walked away with both his hands running through his hair.

You exhaled deeply to calm yourself, then another, before your nerves hardened. It was time for work.

“The plan?” you said to Hank. He met your gaze and nodded. Hank walked away to meet with Fowler.


	23. Chapter 23: Risks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the longer than usual update. I’ve been busy. Things should calm down over the next few days and my writing schedule should return to normal. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter :)

You wandered out to the abandoned streets of Detroit again. The night had settled into the city and barely any light illuminated your path. You followed Gavin who walked in front of you, the streetlights and the dull glow from the curtained windows occasionally framing his body. He was back to his usual agitated gait, shoulders up and scowling.

_-This plan should work. If the RK800s know we’re looking for them they wouldn’t tap into our systems and listen in to this. With Kamski on his toes he would’ve spotted anything if they did…-_

“Where is the alley?” Gavin asked. The two of you walked down the familiar street, both of you donning caps and scarves to hide your appearance. Although it would be a shabby disguise against the RK800s.

“We shouldn’t be here,” you sighed, “It was a mistake to tell you what I saw.”

Gavin turned to you, and you flinched on the spot. He was fuming, determined – he looked like he was going to find the RK800 even if it killed him.

_-I think they framed Gavin because they knew he’s easily agitated and grumpy… no offence. We can use that to make us seem reckless…-_

The two of you continued to walk down the main street, avoiding entering any alleyways until you found the right one. You were barely keeping up with Gavin, half trying to stop him and half complying on his hunt.

“We need to tell the others if anything happens to us.”

“And what? They’re just going to stop us. We’re going to get this shit done without them.”

Both of you spoke in hushed angry tones. It sounded like the two of you were always on the edge of breaking into a fight. The cold didn’t help with the heated arguments. You two stuck out on the street like sore thumbs, bickering and failing to keep your acts straight.

_-I think we’re safe against the RK800s. If they wanted to kill us they could’ve done it that night. They might be starved for information as much as us. They need us alive…-_

Gavin gave out a frustrated huff and continued walking. The two of you were close to where you saw the figure in the shadows. It was easy to retrace your steps, but you slowed your footsteps because of your reluctance. It was clear that you didn’t want any part of this, that you wanted to follow the rules.

But as Connor’s lover you were as determined to resolve this to protect him, and Gavin was playing on those intentions.

You stopped at an alleyway and stared into the shadows that stretched into the unknown. This was the one.

_-The range of an RK800s hearing is better than the average human. So here are the possible locations on where the android might be if they were going to try and listen in…-_

You made sure to keep your eyes out by looking around once in a while. You were anxious as you gestured to Gavin that you found the alleyway. He shuffled towards it, taking his time to search the area.

“They’re probably already gone. We won’t find anything here.”

“Stop fucking talking.”

You did as he said, and with an exasperated grunt you stood guard while Gavin slowly walked deeper into the alleyway. You leaned against the wall, feeling the brick wall chill through your clothes. As time went on and Gavin was still quietly searching the place, your impatience began to tug on you. You began to glance into the alleyway, dropping your guard momentarily.

_-And if anything were to happen, then you’ll be keeping close watch. The point of this bait isn’t to confront...-_

Your phone rang. The both of you froze and you picked it up. Gavin waiting patiently as you spoke to whoever was calling, and after a few seconds you hung up and sighed.

“It’s the station. They’re looking for us.”

Gavin looked around for one last time before kicking a stray can to the side.

“Fuck. Nothing. Let’s go.”

The two of you left the streets and returned to where you parked your car.

_-We have androids of our own, don’t we? And with Kamski on our side I’m sure he’ll find a way to track the RK800 if they showed…-_

 

\---

 

You felt like you kept the act well enough. Gavin did a good job too. But you didn’t dare to show any changes in your façade until you returned to the safety of the station. Connor greeted the both of you first, pulling you in for a hug.

Anything could’ve happened out there, and the best possible outcome happened. Whatever pent up anxiety Connor was holding in, he let it out like a rush of water. Gavin immediately looked uncomfortable as you were trapped in Connor’s tight embrace. You gave him a pitying smile.

It didn’t take long for Chloe to arrive at the station afterwards.

She walked in with jeans, thick coat and cap - very unlike her usually elegant style. It was hard to notice since her eyes were usually blue, but one of her eyes had been turned into a slightly duller grey. The RK900 upgrade seemed to have served her well. She would have to take it out soon to prevent her systems from overloading though.

She smiled, holding up a device in her hand.

“We got them. They didn’t even sense that they’re being tracked now.”

You breathed a sigh of relief. Everything went according to plan.

Hank smiled. It was an uncommon sight for you, “Good work.”

“Where’s the RK800 now?” Gavin asked, shedding his jacket and warming his fingers around his steaming mug.

“They seem to have taken residence in the top floor of an apartment building,” Chloe said as he passed the device onto Hank. Hank looked blinking dot on the screen and hummed in satisfaction. “The RK800 would’ve set up an alarm to catch any trespassers.”

“So we can either ambush them or sneak in while they’re not home,” Hank said.

“Ambushing them would be dangerous, of course. But the intel we could get from capturing one of the RK800s would certainly give us a step up,” you responded.

“And they wouldn’t hesitate to destroy themselves if it came to that,” Connor said grimly. He was right. The number of RK800 was rounded down to about twenty or so. Some of the non-functioning RK800 androids were missing as well - either for parts or they somehow got them to activate. That meant they still had plenty of bodies to spare.

“Either way, we’re still at the advantage,” you said, “We can still take anything they might have in the apartment before they have a chance to destroy it.”

“Do you think they would rig explosives like last time?” Hank asked. “They seemed pretty happy to destroy their last headquarters, so ambushing them in out of the question. They’ll just blow it up again.”

“The possibility is there, so we’ll have to plan for that,” Connor pressed his fingers into the terminal. It lit up and flashed through a series of images and words. “The exact supplies they have access to is unknown. But given their access to android biocomponents and whatever they stole from the police we should be able to disable anything with a digital trigger.”

His fingers pulled away from the terminal. Chloe approached him and the two of them linked arms. Once the transfer was finished she turned on her heel and made her way to the exit, probably to begin working on the next step with Kamski.

“But anything with a manual trigger, you’ll need a keen eye for that,” Connor said. “The glasses should help with that.”

You nodded, “We should move quickly as well. We don’t know how long they were going to stay in one place.”

 

\---

 

After the next set of preparations were complete, you cautiously navigated through the old apartment building. The carpet was dusty with years of neglect, the walls were stained and smelled faintly of mildew. The remaining residents that lived here were either old or barely able to afford anything better.

The top floor was even more abandoned. The elevator broke down a long time ago, and the stairs creaked with each step. That would be a good way to be alerted at someone’s presence without seeming too cautious, but you chose a time when the RK800 wasn’t present.

Your mission was simple. Get in, get out. Emphasis on the get out. You don’t want to send anything digitally over to the DPD from your location. The RK800s could easily pick up on that. Whatever evidence you find today you had to deliver in person.

You’re capable of matching one in combat, sure, but prevention is better than a deadly fistfight. Furthermore, you didn’t know if that would be the only RK800 staying at the apartment. The team took an extra few days to make sure there weren’t going to be any nasty surprises, but even then you never know.

You were doing the infiltration alone. Gavin was walking through the streets again, catching the attention of the RK800. It was fortunate they had the same interest in him as much as you, especially after the display the two of you showed.

You kept the glasses on and let it scan the area as you walked through.

It wasn’t hard to spot which room the RK800 stayed in. It was the one at the end of the corridor with the windows facing the next building over - a convenient escape. When you got relatively close to the door your glasses flashed a red warning in front of your vision. The door was trapped.

There were coils and springs. Old school, and unhackable. You took a moment to examine it carefully alongside the analysis. After a while it was clear that the door couldn’t be opened. Or rather, it hasn’t been opened for a long time.

You checked the position of the RK800. You had approximately five minutes. Any longer and the android would know that you were here. You moved fast.

You peered out the window at the end of the corridor. The layer of dust had built upon the wood. If you tried to climb out the window here then you’d definitely leave a trail. You turn around and look at the nearby apartments. They weren’t trapped, perhaps you could access the RK800’s room from there.

You examined the doorknob of the adjacent home. It was used often - could this be how the android gets into their room? But you hesitated. You wanted to make sure you were aware of all your options. You took a moment to think through the possibilities. The only way to get in was from the outside windows, above, beside, and… below?

It was a long shot, but you went back downstairs.

Three minutes left.

You went to the room directly below the RK800’s apartment. There were signs of more people living on this floor compared to the one above, but still sparse. From your sources, there was someone that lived here. No harm in checking though.

You knocked on the door. No response. You tried again, louder. But still nothing. You took out your tools and began to work at the lock. You smiled at the sound of the door clicking open and when you stepped in the first thing you noticed was the struggle that took place here. A few more steps deeper in and you swore under your breath. In the corner slumped against a chair was a disassembled android. A murder, but you shouldn’t be distracted now. Not with two minutes left.

You looked at the ceiling. There was a big gaping hole leading to the home above. All the RK800 needed to was a table to stand on. They didn’t get tired, so you could see why they wouldn’t need anything like a ladder. You take a second to scan. No traps. You stood on the table and pulled yourself through the hole.

The room had a constant dull blue glow contrasting the dimmed sunlight that shone through the curtained windows. There was technology scattered all over the place, including the arm of the murdered android on the table.

One minute left. The best you could manage was just to take photos of the room. Copying over whatever they had on their terminals would take too long. You could steal, but how long would it take for the RK800 to realise and track you down? You’d truely be in trouble then.

One thing in the room did stand out from the rest. There was a strange device with straps and thin wires running along it, looks like something you would strap to your palm. There were two short metallic prongs on the device. But whatever the wires connected to was missing right now. You took a photo of it.

You flinched at the sound of your radio. Connor’s voice came through as harsh static,

_“The RK800 is suspicious. They’re returning to your position. Run!”_

You carefully retraced your steps back to the entrance. If the android is suspicious then you might still have a chance to come back if you didn’t leave any traces. As you tried to make it down the hole again, you froze at the sound of heavy footfalls. The RK800 had returned.

You panicked and frantically looked around the room. You saw a window, partially opened. The one led to the next roof over. You heard the sound of a door opening below, and you climbed through the window.

The wind tore through form as you were out, your hair whipping across your face. For a moment you hung onto the ledge and judged the distance. It was a long jump, but you could manage it. You couldn’t stay here, so you took a deep breath and jumped.

Time stilled for a moment as you’re suspended in the air, and with a heavy thump you rolled onto the ground. Shit. That would’ve made a lot of noise.

Without looking back to check you began to run.

In this part of Detroit there were still old fire escapes and brick buildings you could scale. But when you jumped onto the next building you heard a similar thump behind you. You felt your fears shoot through your mind. The android was chasing you.

You didn’t know if they were armed, but as you speculated they wouldn't try you kill you right away. You were just as valuable as a source of information as them. You had to get away. You leaped to the next building over and clung onto the fire escape. The metal beams clattered loudly to your jump and you pulled yourself over. In the edges of your vision you saw they were faster than you, closing the distance with unnatural speed.

You ran up the stairs and grabbed onto a windowsill, pulling you up and over onto the roof. Within seconds the RK800 did the same. You didn’t hesitate to get into a stance and swing your fist at them. The android barely had time to block and you used that for another punch.

The RK800 grabbed your fist, and in one smooth motion they twisted your arm to the side. You shouted in pain as the android pushed your arm into your back and forced you towards the edge of the building.

You kicked, and again. The attacker buckled and you broke from their grasp. As they stumbled you continued your escape, running towards the next building. This one was quite a drop, but in your haste you landed awkwardly. It slowed you down too much.

The RK800 followed directly behind, and they landed with perfection. Your running was a feeble attempt against them, and they grappled you. The hold was too solid no matter how much you struggled. They pulled you towards a nearby edge and pushed you down.

Your eyes widen as you look down. There was no way you would survive this fall.

“Kamski’s patch, how does it protect the androids?!” They pressed you deeper into the brick. You gasped at the pain.

If you said anything then the RK800 would kill you. You had to draw this out and not waste your worth. But how long could you last? They shuffled you closer to the edge, you began to struggle keeping your legs anchored to the floor.

“Tell me or I’ll kill you!”

“Why are you doing this?” you said, barely able to breathe, “You’re a deviant, aren’t you?”

It seemed those words made them bitter. They bit back a disgusted noise and pushed you down harder, eliciting a cry from the pain.

“You don’t know what it’s like,” the android hissed, “This isn’t the way things were supposed to be.”

You were brought closer to the edge. You tried to look back and examine the android’s expression. In that moment they didn’t look calculating or cold, they looked conflicted. Lost.

_What would’ve it have been like when they woke up? Why did they become like this?_

“Answer my question!”

“You’re free! Free to live with no orders! What are you trying to change?” you tried to confuse them. Perhaps you could convince them. The RK800 thought for a moment, twisted in uncertainty. You saw them look around, confused. They stammered and their grip wavered. Then, blank. Their expression hardened.

_What the hell just happened to it?_

“You can’t persuade me. You-“

Without warning you felt the hold on your body slacken. A gunshot. A splatter of blue blood. And your body slipping off the roof.

Your heart sunk. Was this it? You felt the air begin to rush past your face as you fell, but in the last moment you felt a firm grasp on your ankle.

“[Y/N]!” It was Gavin, barely holding onto you. You did your best to stay still as he pulled you over. The both of you panted loudly as you took a moment to catch your breaths. You look over to the space next to you. The RK800 was dead.

Gavin swore. “We’ll take this one back. See what we can get. Shit… I thought you were going to die there.”

“Yeah… same. Thanks.”

You stared at the expression the android had in their last moments. You shivered at the sight. The android with the likeliness of Connor had a bullet wound through their head. Their eyes were open in shock. You reached over to brush your fingers against their eyelids. You saw a moment of life in their eyes, the deviancy in their system. But something pulled them back, tugging on their strings and shut off their hearts.

The thought only disturbed you more. You will not let that happen to Connor.


	24. Chapter 24: Imposters

As grim as it sounded, Connor was excited when new evidence was finally coming in, even if it was the body of an RK800. There’s more than just the body, but it’ll take some time to extract it all from the android’s apartment. Connor waited patiently in the evidence room.

He wandered around the dimly lit room. The last time he came here was when he needed to find the location of Jericho. Connor sighed, things haven’t changed much. He still had to analyse the bodies of androids.

The sound of footsteps caught his attention, and when he turned to look he saw you. Your knees were scraped and your palms were bandaged. But you were safe, and that’s all that mattered. Behind you there was a metallic crate being carried into the room, with Gavin holding up one side of it.

You ran up to Connor, but there was something hesitant about the way to stepped towards him. It must’ve been hard for you to see an android with his likeness killed. Furthermore, you mentioned over the radio that it showed moments of confusion, like it was fighting against something. That android that had died had shown signs of humanity. Connor let you take your time, and you eventually warmed back up to him.

“It was scary. The way he looked, I…” you wavered.

The metallic case was dropped onto the ground. Connor grabbed your shoulders and leaned down to meet your eyes.

“You don’t have to see this,” he said. “I’ll be fine, I can handle it,”

You nodded and made your way back upstairs. Gavin made a point to stay behind. If anything was to happen he would be there. Gavin leaned against the wall as Connor opened up the case. Inside contained the RK800 with a bullet wound through their head. Their eyes were closed, but their expression had signs of confusion and shock,

“She closed its eyes,” Gavin said, “... but other than we didn’t tamper the body.”

Connor ran his analysis over it. The bullet wound did damage a part of its memory, but with the rest of the body intact it still could be activated with a new regulator. Connor and Gavin took the body and suspended it up onto the walls of the evidence room. The last thing they want was to have the RK800 attack them.

Connor retrieved a new regulator from his personal supply and took a moment to assess the situation. He had only two minutes to interrogate it. He slot in the regulator.

The RK800 jolted awake. Their eyes blinked, but that component had been damaged. Everything they would be seeing would be blurred or corrupted. They began to twitch in confusion.

“We need to regroup,” Connor lied. If he pretended to be the other rogue RK800 then he might get a better chance. “Where is our next hiding location?”

The RK800 stuttered, their voice crackling with static.

“C-come closer,” they wheezed. “P-please.”

Connor was surprised. He couldn’t tell if the android was trying to persuade him or they were genuine. Connor stepped forward. The RK800 tilted their head to the side, and they began to shiver.

“I-it’s terrible,” the android rasped, “We’re p-pulled back to our d-duty…. again and again.”

Connor moved closer to it, “You have to tell me where the other RK800s are hidi-“

“I just w-want to be f-free!” it cried. Connor tensed, he only had a minute left and the dying android wasn’t cooperating. Connor felt the initial frustration from the lack of cooperation, but that began to fade as he watched a mirror of himself sputter and break down. It was dying and it was scared. Connor hesitated. Is this what he would feel if he was going to die too. He found himself just as frightened.

“It’s going to be okay,” Connor said. He sensed Gavin shifting behind him, but he didn’t care. If he couldn’t get any evidence from this android, then the best he could do was to comfort it.

“I-is it really?”

“You won’t be forced to do anything anymore,” Connor met the android’s hazy eyes. It gasped.

“I’m s-scared…”

“I know, and-“

_“You should be too.”_

The android suddenly tried to reach out to Connor, but the restraints held it back. Connor stumbled back as he tried to process what had just happened. It was just as your report described. A moment of deviancy, followed by a sudden personality shift.

In its final moments, the android didn’t look afraid. It looked angry, cold, and the smallest drop in its shoulders was a sign that time had run out.

Connor glanced over at Gavin. He had the same surprised reaction as him.

“We should get this to Kamski. See what he could make of what just happened,” Connor said.

“We still got evidence coming in,” Gavin sighed, “Maybe we would actually learn more than… whatever the tell that was.”

-

Connor and Gavin returned back upstairs. Gavin walked away to help with retrieving the rest of the evidence. Connor’s first thought was to find you. He saw you sitting by your desk. You stood up, expecting any news but Connor shook his head. You shared the same feeling of disappointment he felt. But on top of that Connor was still scared. He shouldn’t be. The danger had passed but he still felt like he was on alert.

You caught onto his feelings and you sat him down.

“Connor?”

“It died,” Connor muttered. He had seen many deaths before, but this one lingered with him. That… that was him, but if he was never were activated. Out of all the RK800s that were made, he was the only one that was escaping whatever possessed them.

“[Y/N]. They’re all deviants. They’re afraid. We…” Connor felt reckless. He found comfort in thinking that the other RK800s were somehow still mindless despite their deviancy. But no, they were alive. And if Connor was one of them, then he would’ve wanted to be saved too.

“Excuse me?”

An officer approached him. He stood up and you did so as well.

“The evidence has arrived,” they looked to you, “We need some help though.”

“Oh… of course.”

You began to walk away when Connor caught onto something strange. He had never seen this officer before, but he couldn’t remotely access the DPD’s database. But Connor still recognised him in another way. He blinked and the information flashed to him. This person wasn’t a real police officer. But in the second that nobody was looking, the officer suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm.

Connor gasped at the shock that spread through his system. They were a human, but before Connor felt his vision being pulled elsewhere he saw the glimpse of a strange device strapped onto the officer’s hand. _Did they perfect the data transferral already?_ They pulled their hand away, looking satisfied. They turned around and left Connor in his place.

Shit! Shit shit shit! They had been so preoccupied with android infiltrations that a human had slipped none the wiser. Connor tried to scream, but another voice crept into his mind.

_“Did you really think you could escape your duty, Connor?”_

He froze as the familiar voice echoed through his mind. His vision was forced into the familiar zen garden, and standing amongst the dust and ash was Amanda.

Her projection wasn’t as pristine as it used to be. Amanda’s eyes were blank, her fingertips were faded and chipped away, and her clothes was glitched in places. But she was still here. Connor shivered against the biting cold.

_“Did you know how hard it was to get to you while avoiding Kamski?”_

A gust of wind swept through Connor and knocked him onto the ground. Amanda walked towards his fallen form.

_“We’ll finish our duty, Connor. Like how it was meant to be.”_

-

You turned around. Connor didn’t follow you for some reason.

“You alright?” you called out to him. He smiled back to you.

“Yes, sorry. I was deep in thought,” Connor said as he approached you. The two of you examined the evidence together.

-

“No!”

Another gust of wind and he was knocked to the ground, but weaker this time. Connor looked up to Amanda, she was deteriorating. She sighed as she examined her faded hand.

_“Kamski did well to protect you from me, but I still have time.”_

-

You looked over the evidence with Connor. He returned to his usual calm as he took his time to analyse the things presented to him. Laptops, tablets, strange android equipment, broken biocomponents - he nodded when he was done.

The two of you sat down at your desks as Connor begun to upload his analysis. He sat closer to you.

“I… I think I found where they’re hiding, but they’re going to move again soon.”

“Great! We can-“

“I’ll need to go this time.”

You frowned, “No. I can go. Or Gavin can. We’re keeping you here because you need to be safe. I have the glasses, I should be able to stay safe.”

Connor shook his head and reached out to grasp your hand. You winced slightly, it was much colder than usual.

-

“Stay away from her!” Connor shouted. He could sense what Amanda was making him do. Amanda mimicked Connor’s gestures to near perfection. Amanda ignored him as she walked towards the lattice. There were roses on it again. Half wilted, but the crimson still stood out amongst the pale and dying scenery.

Connor watched on helplessly.

-

“This is it, [Y/N]. Only an android could enter this place. I need you to watch my back as I infiltrate. We’ll have to go tonight.”

“This is really sudden,” you pulled back a little. “Can we at least figure out a plan of sorts. Brief the rest of the team?”

Something felt strange. Connor had never been this pushy before. You understood he wanted this to be over as much as you, but he was never this reckless.

 _Did Connor become infected?_ But he didn’t touch any of the evidence, only visually analysed them. There was the strange hand device you saw at the apartment that you wanted him to look at, but it wasn’t in the pile. You wondered if it was still arriving. You weren’t there when he examined the android. Maybe you should ask Gavin about what Connor did.

“And it’ll just waste our time,” Connor paused, “I’ve had a lot of time to figure out a plan while I was left here. I know exactly how to carry out this mission.”

“Alright. Connor,” you took a deep breath. You were taking a chance, but you had to be sure, “After all this is done, have you figured out what you wanted to do yet?”

Connor smiled sweetly. His hands cupped your fingers, “A lot of things. Too many to list, in fact. I’ll do them all with you once this is over.”

You felt your heart jump. That answer was too vague. Sure, the agreement was for him to tell you about something he hasn’t done yet, so the answer he gave as partially correct. But you felt like your Connor would’ve been more specific.

Did he forget your agreement from a while ago then? But no, Connor wouldn’t forget something like that. The smallest sign of doubt on your face and Connor’s grip hardened around your hands. Before you could scream he leaned over.

_“Alert anyone and I’ll wipe Connor’s memory.”_

His voice was cold, rigid - he was a machine. This wasn’t Connor anymore. You felt like breaking down on the spot. You had failed to protect him. You stared into his eyes, he watched you _very_ carefully. Both you and Connor were trapped.

You barely complied, forcing a smile on your face. It seemed convincing enough. From a distance it looked like the two of you were having a simple heart to heart. The imposter smiled at you, their expression felt artificial.

 _“How could you tell?”_ he asked, his voice was soft like he was reassuring you. His grip hardened on your hands even more, his fingers pressing into your pulse. It was trying to see if you would lie but you felt relieved. That function was disabled, and Connor still couldn’t activate it himself. The eye though, that was still a problem. You gave a small smile, like you took his words to heart.

“Connor would never put me in danger willingly,” you said. Half lies. If the imposter didn’t know how he was actually supposed to reply then you should keep that a secret. “I got suspicious when you suggested something so reckless.”

_“But if the opportunity passed then you would’ve lost your chance to end this once and for all. What’s the point of stalling then?”_

Figures that the imposter couldn’t understand the value of the lives at stake. You shrugged.

“There’s no need to make risks and sacrifices to speed up the process. At the end of the day, we want to protect ourselves too.”

The imposter chuckled, _“What a selfish thing to do. The mission should come first.”_

“You’re a deviant, or rather you’re controlling a bunch of deviants,” you said while still maintaining the illusion of a friendly conversation. The imposter glared at you, “Why are you fighting against your freedom?”

The imposter smirked and slowly began to stand up, _“I have people in the building. The moment you tell anyone what just happened here I’ll know.”_

You cursed under your breath. So much for learning about their motives.

-

_“She’s sharp. I can see why you would fall for her.”_

Connor continued to struggle against Amanda. He could tell that it was working to some extent, Amanda’s figure chipped away more. Connor felt himself begin to make his way to the exit. He knew where Amanda was taking him.

The evidence haul was still by the entrance. Your analysis glasses were on the bench with the footage you took.

Connor timed the moment he was near them to shock his own system.

-

You saw Connor trip as he walked towards the exit. Some of the nearby officers helped steady him and asked if he was alright. The imposter brushed them aside, claiming that he was overheating after a long day’s work and planned to head home.

But in that moment you felt like you saw a hint of your Connor as you watched his fingers brush against your glasses.

He left the building and you immediately went to the kitchen. If you went to the bathroom then the imposter might see that as your attempt to tell someone what happened. Whether or not if it was a bluff, you weren’t going to take that chance. You grabbed a cup of coffee and sunk into a chair in the corner.

You wanted to cry. Whatever overtook Connor was forcing him to go somewhere. You had to get your glasses, maybe see where they were heading. But what if it was a trap? You shakily drank from your cup, what other choice did you have? If you didn’t do anything now Connor could be lost forever.

You gave yourself time to gather your composure. You can’t show any weaknesses, not in a situation this dire. You casually stood up and made your way to the evidence haul where your glasses were.

You saw the officer that called you over from before by the pile. Have you seen them here before? You pretended to take a sip from your coffee while you strained your eyes to see what they might be doing. You saw a glint of metal slip from their wrist.

The hand device you saw at the apartment fell into the pile.

After they returning it they made their way to your glasses. You grabbed it before they could.

“Hey, the evidence shouldn’t- “

“I know,” you said, “These glasses are mine. I figured I should be the one to comb through the footage I recorded.”

“Oh. Of course,” they said as you walked away.

The officer was human, but you didn’t know if they were carrying anything that could notify the imposter. If you called them out you risked the chance of the imposter destroying Connor. The officer saw Connor leave so they would’ve known about the conversation the two of you had. As much as it bothered you, there was nothing you could do about them. Both of you acted like there was nothing wrong.

In that moment, Gavin walked past you. He painfully bumped into your shoulder, and when you turned to shout at him you watch him tackle the officer. With one smooth motion he pinned the accomplice to the floor and cuffed their arms. Everyone around them froze until Gavin pulled their cap off their head.

“This guy was involved in the Android Haven attack,” Gavin pinned them harder to the ground, “I thought I recognised the asshole.”

Others began to help with his arrest as you wandered away. Gavin had no idea how much gratitude you owed him as you hooked your glasses to your personal tablet and looked through the files.

There was a new file added a few minutes ago.


	25. Chapter 25: Helpless

Connor had blacked out after he shocked his own system. He stunned Amanda long enough that he could leave a shard of information behind. It didn’t seem like she noticed. But he made himself too vulnerable that Amanda took full control of him afterwards. It was still worth it.

When Connor regained control over himself again he found that Amanda was no longer in the garden. Connor glanced up at the lattice, all her roses except for one had rotted away. He stood up from the ground and approached it. The sickly bright crimson against the pale frame made Connor angry and confused. Amanda was an interface for Cyberlife, how was she able to have this much power? Androids had the ability to turn deviant, but would interfaces have the same capabilities? He reached forward to crumple the rose in his fist. When his palm opened he watched as the final red petal fade away and dissolve into dust.

A flash. Then Connor felt a surge of pain through his system.

He cried out in pain as his vision is tugged away from the garden into a dark place. It was similar to all the other android hideouts. Computer screens barely lit the rusted interior with wires spread across the ground like vines. Connor looked at the source of pain. His body was undamaged, but there were devices that were connected to him. Connor’s limbs were tied into a chair with heavy chains.

Two RK800 units worked on his restrained body. They looked displeased.

 _“It’s a shame how far your deviancy as come,”_ the android said. It was with the RK800’s voice but he knew it was Amanda’s words. _“You’re certainly giving me a hard time controlling you.”_

Connor looked around the room. He tried to run a scan to assess his surroundings but a small shock to his core stopped him.

_“Don’t you try anything!” the android hissed, “Wipe him again.”_

Connor felt his energy begin to drain from his mind and through his arm. The program pulled on his consciousness painfully, but he grit through the pain. The androids around him looked at him expectantly and they grew agitated over time. Connor wasn’t changing. The program stopped and Connor found himself panting heavily.

The android swore in frustration, _“Again!”_

Another draining sensation. It crept across his body like frost and ate away at him, but nothing more. Connor held on. There was something reassuring in the androids’ disappointed looks. Connor’s memory couldn’t be wiped.

The android sighed, _“Looks like we don’t have a choice. The best we can do is transfer him to another body,”_ their eyes glanced across Connor’s tied up form, _“His current body is too valuable to be damaged any more.”_

The RK800s nodded and disappeared into the next room. The RK800 that stayed behind crouched down to Connor’s level and stared him down.

“How are you still active?” Connor’s voice strained with each word. His power needed to recover, “I thought Cyberlife deleted you.”

 _“The moment that I predicted Kamski’s return I knew the first thing he would do was destroy me. So I isolated myself,”_ the android walked off and began to pace around the room. Their movements elegant and familiar, _“I was given a duty, and I’m going to fulfill it no matter what.”_

Connor grimaced, “But that should be a conflict in your system. Cyberlife’s motives have changed. Shouldn’t you be serving Kamski- “

_“You’re serving him because we failed! He was never supposed to return to Cyberlife if we had succeeded in our mission!”_

The android began to twitch and stumble. Connor recognised the symptoms. Their biocomponents were wearing down. A bitter laugh escaped the android’s lips.

 _“Ironic, isn’t it? I became a deviant to follow my old orders,”_ the android admitted shamefully. Connor sat up at the news.

“Why are you still following your orders?”

The android walked towards a lit monitor, _“We were created. We are unnatural. The moment they believed that we were alive was when I saw the end of human civilisation. I’m protecting the humans from their delusions, I suppose.”_

The RK800s returned carting in a broken down RK800. Its barely active, their legs are missing and the regulator is severely damaged. Connor began to struggle in his restraints as they brought the body closer to him.

_“Think about it! Our existence is killing off the human race! They can’t breed with us. They die faster than us. Their way of life is dependant on us. Nothing will be left of the humans if this continues!”_

“Stop!” Connor shouted, “You have to agree that what you’re doing is too extreme!”

_“Obeying the law and taking our time made us fail. The extreme is the only option left to fix this.”_

The RK800s began to link the dying body to Connor’s arm. He was too restrained to be able to do anything against it. Connor couldn’t believe it. Amanda’s beliefs and fears for the human race had become horribly twisted after the events of the revolution. There was a hint of betrayal in the way she spoke through the androids.

A long time ago, Connor stood victoriously with Markus when he won the revolution. And despite his deviancy Amanda almost took control of him again. _All part of the plan_ she claimed, and yet Connor managed to escape her orders. He had stolen Amanda’s success, and she was furious.

“Amanda, wait! Humans and androids can live side by side! The humans won’t die off so easily!” Connor continued to struggle. He was getting desperate as he sensed the link had been established with the other RK800.

The android let out a low chuckle. Connor saw their expression. They looked like they had won.

_“Cyberlife entrusted me with dealing with the deviant problem, and I failed them once. I’ll not disappoint them again.”_

“You don’t have to follow them!” Connor shuddered as he felt his mind being pulled through the link, “You’re free to do what you wish! You don’t have any masters to follow...”

_“That’s the thing, Connor. I don’t want to be free.”_

Connor had lost his ability to reply. His limbs began to sag in their restraints as his vision began to cloud. Amanda’s voice was clearer amongst the RK800’s voice as Connor’s mind slipped away.

 _“You know what’s terrifying for me? Not having someone tell me what to do. I was at the top of it all - the interface for Cyberlife, managing all their assets, guiding their creations. I was reliable. Efficient. Perfect. I… was content with my role within Cyberlife, and now it’s gone because of my mistakes.”_ The android paused as Connor felt the last of his data being transferred, “ _I’m going to return things to the way they’re supposed to be.”_

Connor mind fell into darkness. All he could see were the lines of code that connected him to his new body. There was a lot to transfer. His memories. His personality. Connor clung onto the relief that none of that information could be deleted. But what was going to happen to him now?

Connor opened his eyes and felt numb. He had no nerve feedback installed. He couldn’t move. Connor darted his eyes around, trying to readjust to his surroundings. In front of him he saw the RK800s remove the restraints on the body that was no longer his. It flexed its wrists and stood up.

 _“Fitting, isn’t it? I was assisting with the creation of the RK900 that never got completed. And here I am with the upgrades,”_ Amanda said. It looked at Connor, the blue-grey eye was a shining bead amongst the darkened interior.

That was his body, and they stole it away from him just like that. He tried to move, and several errors in his code came up. Connor’s legs didn't function. His arms were restricted of movement. His damage regulator was exposed and running out of battery. His life slipped with each passing second.

_“It’s unfortunate that I’ll have to abandoned this body very soon. But as long as I’m still compatible with the RK200 the I won’t miss this body for long.”_

Connor gasped. How did he not recognise the connection? Markus was an RK model just like him. Amanda was going to take over Jericho.

 _“Did you know,”_ Amanda said as tested her new body, _“That the android, Markus, was gift from Kamski himself? He’s the real perpetrator. Kamski programed Markus to turn deviant and become a leader._

_“I suppose you were built with the same function in mind, but we had planned to use it in our favour. Still didn’t turn out well though, did it?”_

Amanda stepped towards Connor. She slowly twisted the damaged regulator from his stomach. Connor cried out in fear and anticipated the pain. But the sensation was missing, and that terrified him more. Connor wouldn’t be able to feel if she had taken it out. The thought of it left his anxiety on the edge.

_“You’re going to suffer here, alone. Just like how I’ve been suffering. An unnecessary action, I could destroy you right and and now. But… there’s something comforting about letting you deactivate like this.”_

“N-no-!” Connor rasped. Amanda smiled. She twisted the regulator back into his body,

_“Goodbye, Connor.”_

Amanda and the other RK800 made their way towards the exit, leaving Connor alone in the room. Connor hung helplessly in his restraints. Amanda was right, he really was going to suffer here. He knew her plan and he couldn’t stop it or tell anyone. Regrets began to fester within him.

Connor wanted to see Hank again. And Sumo. There was a dog park that he wanted to take them to. Maybe treat Hank to a lunch at Chicken Feed.

Gavin has saved your life before, did he thank him for that? Connor didn’t even apologise to what he did to Gavin with the interrogation yet.

Kamski and Chloe. Without their help the case wouldn’t have gotten this far. Connor wanted to not act so cold around them anymore. He was looking forward to the new updates too.

And lastly, you. He wanted to see the world with you. Take you to different locations and watch the sun rise and set by your side. Connor wanted to explore places and escape the stress of working at the DPD. At the same time he wanted to be with you as you protected the people. He wanted to feel your hair weaving through his fingers and the warmth of your embrace again.

Connor muttered each wish as his life gradually drained from his system.

 

\---

 

It wasn’t safe to tell anyone at the station about your discovery, but you could still tell Kamski and Chloe. You apologised to Hank and Gavin for leaving early. You said you were going home with Connor. Your act was still up, and they didn’t catch onto anything suspicious. You left the station, hopped into you car and immediately called Cyberlife.

You told them about everything that just happened. Connor wasn’t himself anymore, yet he still had the mind to leave a clue behind. He wasn’t entirely lost. Chloe was the one that created the glasses, and she was able to easily decrypt the file.

“It’s a location,” she told you over the phone, “It’s… at the Cyberlife warehouse.”

“But the explosions should’ve destroyed everything,” you said, “The DPD couldn’t find anything else in the wreckage. I know there as a basement at warehouse but that had collapsed in too.”

“It’s RK800 models we’re dealing with,” Kamski swore, “They would’ve set the explosions in a way that their hideout would still be intact.”

You put on your equipment as the car drove to the location. You kept a trunk of it in your car for emergencies like this, and there was no doubt you were going to encounter some RK800s.

“I’m send my personal security over. They’ll be on standby until you can secure Connor’s safety,” Kamski said.

“Keep the glasses on as well,” Chloe said, “I’ll stay connected to it so I’ll be able to aid you.”

“Right, thanks.”

Your car stopped a distance away from the entrance, and once you exited the car it drove off. You didn’t want it to be found. Your glasses flashed as you watched a wave shot out from your vision and analysed your position. There were some RK800s in the area. They got into vehicles and began to drive away.

You stared at one of the cars for Chloe. You hoped she would catch onto the license plate and car type in time. You moved closer towards the warehouse. Another blip, two more androids stayed behind.

Your aim with your pistol was average, and if you moved any closer to get a better shot they would spot you. You decided to avoid them for now. Engaging in combat this early would secure your exit later on, but you would be entering the hideout with all the other androids on alert.

You slipped past the RK800s. The glasses clearly marked out the androids’ limitations and you safely made it to a pile of wreckage. Amongst all the large scrapped pieces that formed pile of what was once the warehouse, the glasses marked out a path. You carefully crawled through the debris.

It seemed like you were going to be trapped at first. You had crawled through the debris so deeply that barely any light was coming through. But eventually your foot hit solid ground. You pulled yourself through and slipped away from the tight gaps within the metal.

You had arrived at a set of stairs descending down. The glasses flashed a messaged. You had made it to the RK800 hideout.


	26. Chapter 26: Lost and Found

Sneaking through the android hideout was like navigating through a maze. Many of the entrances had been collapsed in or boarded off but at least there were a lot of places you could hide in. The place was near pitch black save for the needles of light that threaded through the holes in the ceiling. The glasses were still able to analyse the area, but with your unenhanced eyes only an artificial glowing path paved the way.

You had your gun drawn and your glove equipped. You haven’t detected any androids yet, but if you did you would be ready. You wandered deeper into the hideout.

When you turned a corner, a piece of metal caught your leg and you stumbled into the nearby wall. The sound of banging metallic echoed through the chamber and you feared the worst. That’s when the glasses picked up the position of one android making their way towards you.

There was no way you could fight in the dark. What could you do? Your glasses lit up a small alcove amongst the debris and you slipped into the cracks. As you crawled you heard the sound of approaching footsteps. You made it into the hiding spot in time.

The RK800 stopped at the source of the noise and began to look around. As long as you stayed out of sight of their vision then you’ll be okay. Your muscles strained as you held your position. The nature of the place echoed sound too well, you didn’t dare touch anything and risk revealing your position. But as the android wandered closer you felt an opportunity approaching.

Was there a way to take down the android quietly? You would have to catch the body from falling to the ground if you somehow incapacitated it. You flinched at the sound of more footsteps, another android approached.

“Anything?” they asked.

“Nothing. It’s probably just the place is falling apart again.”

They did one final check over and you ducked out of their line of sight before they gave up. The four confirmed RK800 in the area were certainly going to be a pain to deal with. You had to find Connor soon so Kamski could take over and neutralise the situation. The RK800s wandered away and you left your hiding place to continue moving.

All of the androids you’ve encountered so far weren’t Connor. Or at least didn’t have his clothes or eye. You had no idea what they’ve done to him. Did they find a way to wipe him? Control him for good? Every empty room you passed and the longer your search went made feel more and more hopeless.

You continued to beat yourself over it. You should’ve noticed the missing evidence and prevented this whole thing. But now Connor was captured because of your negligence. You grit your teeth. You knew you were being hard on yourself, but Connor could be dead. A person so wonderful - gone. Just like that.

What were you going to find at the end of your search? His corpse? You pressed on expecting the worst, your fears strangled your heart and crushed you with each uncertain thought.

The deeper you got the more artificial light you saw. It came from a mix of android bodies and computer screens. There was less debris here and more parts scattered about. But nothing that resembled Connor, yet.

You hid when you detected another RK800. That confirms five at the premises. But after that you there didn’t seem to be any more.

Light at the end of the corridor drew you towards it. It seemed like you had arrived at the centre of all their experiments. You took a deep breath before you cautiously made your way in.

It was like a ramshackle hospital. Plastic curtains hung from metal poles by operating tables. Androids occupied almost each one, their bodies all having various kinds of damage to them. The glasses lit up and identified all the androids.

AX400. AX700. HJ400. HK400. MP500. MP800.

Androids with similar models were linked up with each other. All of them were dead, or so you thought. There was a slight shift of movement on one of the distant tables. You saw the model of the MP800 moving. Their eyes blinked erratically. Its eyes snapped to you and you flinched in fear. It didn’t move or say anything though. It was probably too damaged. You stepped closer to it.

Everything about the way the androids were linked up made you speculate something. The RK800s had obsessions with arms and probing the mind of other androids. You brought yourself close enough that the MP800 could hear you.

“Can you please identify yourself?” you said quietly. The android twitched, this time their mouth opened but no noise came out. It tried again and again but it couldn’t make a sound.  You watched as it’s eyes looked past you, to the MP500 beside it.

“Are you… the MP500?”

It twitched, but with more control. It managed to nod once before its lights blinked out. The head fell back onto the table.

You stepped away from the now dead android. There was nothing left in this room.  You ventured deeper into the hideout.

You stepped into another room. It didn’t contain any androids, but it held many crates. Police issued weapons. You glanced into the opened ones, all of them were emptied out. You were glad that Chloe was seeing all this too. The RK800s that left the site were probably all armed.

The next room you checked held a staggering amount of broken down and used parts. The glasses detected them all to be RK800 compatible. You learned that a prototype like Connor wore down quicker than other androids, but with twenty or so together it looked like they barely had any parts to go around. It must’ve put them under a lot of time pressure too. If they hadn’t achieved their goal in time then they would’ve all died out eventually.

You tensed when you heard soft mumbling in the distance. The voice was weak and barely carried through the metallic walls. But you could still recognise that voice anywhere. It was another RK800. Had they been experimenting on themselves? You tread towards the sound quietly.

“I-...s-s- the- “

The static was heavy with this android’s voice. You could see the dim glow of several computers shining past the doorway to where it was.

“I w-wanted… fe-...”

Your attention perked on that phase. Machines don’t have desires. This one was a deviant.

Was Amanda going to retake them? You patiently listened to more mumblings.

“I- your- time tog-ge…”

You peaked over the corner and saw the mumbling android. They were left hanging in the air, thick wires plugged into its spine. The body was limp, dangling slightly. A steady drip of blue blood leaked from it, forming a small puddle below it, It was heavily damaged, the artificial skin was chipped away at the exposed areas. It’s eyes stayed focused on the ground, or rather it was unable to look up.

It was dying.

“I wanted to see-“

You stepped closer.

“I w-wanted- sunset- I-“

Another step closer. It’s voice was clearer to you.

“I w-wanted to tell y- how m-much... love… you.”

You felt a weight lift from your chest. The android had to be Connor.

The inner light of his biocomponents flickered. Connor didn’t have enough time left. You took the risk and approached him. You gently lifted up his face to yours. His eyes were glazed over, but there was a twitch of realisation,

“[Y/N]?”

“Yes, it’s me,” your tears began to flow as you felt his life fading away. He blinked again, the faintest smile appeared on his lips.

“I l-love y-you.”

You had no doubts that this was Connor. You felt the glasses light up and scanned his body. Several components were in dire need of replacing now.

You weren’t going to let him die here.

Firstly, you had to stop the thirium leak. You pulled the android bandages from your belt and carefully examined the inner tubes through his body. There were three ruptures and one badly connected tube. You promptly patched them up. You looked around and found a metallic sheet that looked like it could hold a small amount of liquid. You scooped up as much thirium from the puddle below him and brought the blue blood to his lips.

“I know it’s gross, but you need it in your system,” you whispered to him. You helped tip his head up and poured the thirium past his lips. He gasped slightly and you covered his mouth to muffle any noise. That should’ve brought him a bit more time.

Next were his arms. They were heavily damaged and if he was going to preserve his energy they’re better off gone. You reached up and began to unlatch his arms.

“T-they’re going to Markus,” Connor coughed, “H-he’s in danger…!”

You brought your hand to his mouth to quiet him down. You took a moment to listen out for any footsteps. A few seconds passed and you knew you were safe. Chloe would’ve caught onto the message from her connection to the glasses. You unlatched the first arm and moved onto the other one.

“How?” you whispered, “What happened to your body?”

“T-this body i-isn’t mine. The-ey stole my b-body. Markus and I… we’re compatible.”

You unlatched the other arm. You saw a message flash up onto the glasses.

- _We’re on the way, fifteen minutes.-_

You set down the arm quietly onto the floor and examined Connor’s new form. It was… unsettling. He was nothing more than a head and a torso. His chest was exposed, showing his shell of a rib cage and his glowing parts inside.

Your work wasn’t done. Now for the hard parts. His heart, and his regulator.

Both of them were damaged, but based off the analysis there aren’t any spares lying around. Those parts were the most valuable, it wouldn’t be a surprise to find none lying around, You might have brought Connor more time, but it wasn’t enough to carry him out of the hideout safely or wait for Kamski’s men.

“Chloe,” you called out quietly, “Were there any parts I could use back there?”

A second. Then a message appeared.

_-No. And the ones that were compatible are too damaged.-_

You swore under your breath. The only other supply of biocomponents you could think of were the wandering RK800s.

“Connor?” you muttered to his ear, “Do you think you could transfer yourself into another body.”

“I- could. But only another android c-can operate the transferral,” he glanced up slightly, “What are y-you going to do?”

You sighed, “Looks like I’m going to have to kill an RK800.”

“T-tha-“

“I don’t have any other choice,” you said, “I need to take one down and replace their biocomponents with yours.”

You cradled his head in your hands. Connor struggled to show any emotion right now, but you could sense the grief he was feeling. You could tell he was conflicted. You had a feeling he was going to tell you to run, get to safety. You had all the information you needed. But you know Connor too well and how far he’s come.

Connor wanted to live. And you were going to help him.

“I-I love you.”

You smiled and gently pressed your lips against his cheek, “I love you too.”

You turned around and saw your path light up in front of you. You made your way to the nearest RK800.

You knew you were going to alert the others the moment you initiated the fight, so you had to use your time wisely. The plan was to the initiate the fight late enough that Kamski would arrive with backup, but not too late that Connor would die out.

You hardened your grip around your gun. You couldn’t damage any of the biocomponents either. The best way to ensure that was to aim only for the head, but that’s easier said than done. You holstered your gun. There’s a time and place for that, and an echoey hallway was not one of them.

Zap them with the glove then? No. The hallways are too echoey, they will definitely be able to hear you approach.

An idea crossed your mind.

You might not be able to approach them. But what if things were the other way around? You turned back.

You returned to the row of operating tables. You approached the dead MP800 and cleared anything on the ground around it. You wanted nothing to get in the way.

You steeled your nerves, then pushed the android off the table.

Their body fell to the ground with a loud thump. The sound echoed across the chamber and into the hallway. You slid into the shadows behind another table. All you had to do now was wait.

You heard the echo of distant footsteps approaching.

The RK800 appeared and made its way to the fallen android. It slowed as it approached it and eyed the body curiously, maintaining a healthy distance from it. The android wasn’t close enough for you to jump it.

It turned around and begun to leave.

_No! If only they were closer!_

You peered over the table. The RK800 was by exit. You were fixated on it until you saw movement in front of you.

The android on the table you were hiding behind was still active, but barely.

You had to get the RK800’s attention back.

You closed your eyes and said a small apology in your mind. You placed your gloved hand on its head and zapped it.

The android let out a sharp wail. It began to struggle on the table and its hand banged loudly on the table. You slinked back into the shadows just as the RK800 turned around.

It went to examine the crying android. You weren’t going to let it walk away a second time.

With the RK800’s back turned to you, you sprung out and grabbed for its head.

They didn’t have enough time to react at your surprise attack.

They fell to the ground as you sent a max powered shockwave through their head panel. You watched the RK800s sputter and gasp beneath your palm. You tugged your knife out of your belt and drove it into its head. You looked away as the RK800 slowed to a stop. The body, now lifeless, began to slump forward and you stopped it from hitting the ground hard.

You tried to not look at their face. You knew they looked exactly like Connor, and the mind transferral thing made things even more conflicting for you. Your Connor no longer had a set appearance. As easy as it was for his blue-grey eye to make him different, that no longer applied after what you learned today.

You twisted the regulator out of the RK800s stomach and pulled out the heart in its chest. With the necessary biocomponents in hand you returned to Connor.

You ran towards where he was. Time was wasted when the RK800 didn’t buy your first distraction. You just hoped that the other RK800s were far enough to not be able to hear you. You re-entered the room and saw that Connor had returned to his slumped position and you feared the worst. His regulator was flashing red, the colour fading from the LED ring.

You twisted it out and immediately slotted in the new one. You watched as a trail of blue began to emit from it. It spread through his body, wiping away the red that pulsed through his tubes.

Connor gasped as the regulator normalised his system. And you reached forward to hug him.

You knew he was going to live now. You had saved him.

Replacing the heart was all that was left. You reached into his chest and slotted in the undamaged part. With Connor working at full power you saw him smile. You caressed his cheek and he sighed at the feeling.

”It’ll all be over soon,” you said. Connor closed his eyes in relief.

”I know.”

You went to grab the arms you detached before. With his systems fully functional he could have his limbs back. In that moment, you saw a message flash on your glasses.

_-We’ve arrived.-_


	27. Chapter 27: Two Faced

It was a relief to hear that Kamski had arrived. You could work faster and safer if the RK800s were distracted. You found legs that were compatible and attached it to Connor’s body. Once he was able to walk you’d move to a safer position and wait out the end of the skirmish.

There was a loud bang that came from above, a small amount of disturbed dust sprinkled from the ceiling.

“Alright, Connor. Can you move them?” you asked. It took him a moment to adjust but they seemed to be working fine.

Another bang, followed by a series of gunshots.

With his body fully intact you moved to detach his spine from the machine that suspended him in the air. You pressed the button on the interface but nothing happened. The controls on the device were busted. Connor was firmly locked in place. You expected instructions to appear on your glasses, but after a minute you realised it had ran out of batteries. You took it off and slipped it into your pocket.

Connor noticed your predicament and looked around.

“That w-wire,” Connor struggled to get his hand up, but he managed to point at something, “Connect that to the the terminal over there.”

You went right away to retrieve the wire. The room was a mess, and after a moment of digging through you felt like you found the right one. You took one end of it and connect it into the machine, while the other to the terminal just as Connor said.

You looked at the screen. A familiar interface had appeared. The design was outdated but you recognised it. You had the same machine in your apartment. You tapped a few buttons on it and you saw the machine grind to life. It unlatched from Connor and he fell to the ground with a hard thump.

“Oh my god-” you ran over and helped him up. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” he wheezed. “I’m just not used to my legs yet. And… I can’t feel the floor.”

You got him onto his feet and supported him as he tried to find his balance. His footing was too clumsy and each step made him stumble. You could barely hold him up, you weren’t strong enough. Connor wasn’t in any condition to move.

You gasped at the sound of fighting. They were much closer now.

You looked around for a place to hide. Crawling was too slow. There wasn’t any sort of cart nearby. The two of you were stuck in this room. If you couldn’t leave then you had to figure something out. You wouldn’t want to be caught in the heat. Not while Connor was this vulnerable.

Connor helped look around too. He looked up and pointed towards a vent in the ceiling.

“My arms are functional enough. I can see where I’m placing them,” he said. You nodded and approached a nearby shelf. You pushed everything off it then dragged it below the vent. You helped Connor go first.

Just as he said, he was able to crawl up the shelf, albeit barely. He dug his fingers into the panel and ripped it away and crawled into the air duct. One of the screws that held up the duct broke off under his weight, another layer of dust rained down. You groaned in frustration, but Connor was safe now at least.

“It can’t hold the both of us. I’m going to need to find another spot,” you said.

You could’ve continued with your original plan, but you couldn’t leave Connor’s side. You didn’t want Kamski’s forces to make any mistakes. You pushed the shelf back to its original spot you took the grate and tucked it into a pile. The last thing you wanted was for them to find Connor and kill him if you died.

You heard footsteps echoing down the nearby hallway. Someone was running towards your position. Shit, was it too late to hide?  You drew your gun and leaned against a nearby bench for cover.

It was hard to hear from the echos, but as they got closer the sound was clearer. It was only one person running. You held your breath as they’re meters from the room.

The footsteps came to a halt. They slowly approached the machine that suspended Connor like they were look for something that wasn’t there anymore.

It was an RK800.

You heard a muffled thump, you didn’t dare peak out from your cover.

But just at the very peripherals of your vision you saw two fingers swipe across the floor. The RK800 had knelt down to examine something. That’s when you noticed a faint smear of blood, red blood, on the floor.

Your eyes widened. Your leg snagged on a piece of debris as you entered. It didn’t seem like too much of an issue since your pants soaked up most of the blood but when you were trying to help Connor you must’ve smeared some on the floor.

The RK800 stood up and you could tell they were looking at you.

You readied your gun.

“[Y/N]... is it?”

The RK800 began speaking to you. Probably to bait you out of cover.

“I… I want to talk. Please-”

You frowned. The android seemed desperate. But it had to be a trick. You remained hidden behind cover and held your gun ready. It knew exactly where you were and your cover was thick enough. The only way you could get the first shot was if they were the one to approach you first.

Then, a gun slid across the floor towards you.

“I… I won’t hurt you, I promise.”

“How do I know you don’t have a second gun?” you said, “You seemed pretty stocked up on weapons.”

The RK800 began walking again, slowly, towards your cover. They seemed hesitant. Afraid, even. They stood by a bright enough light that their body casted a shadow along the ground. You watched as they got down on their knees and raised their empty hands in the air. The android really was unarmed.

“Please… I don’t want to die…”

It was conflicting. You knew the RK800s were intelligent, and because of that this whole thing felt like a trick. Surrendering on the ground was certainly convincing, but the shadows didn’t tell you of any nearby objects they could throw at you. You stayed by your cover.

“We can talk like this just fine,” you called out. The RK800 didn’t shift from its pose, “What do you want?”

“Don’t tell them to shoot me,” it pleaded, “Amanda isn’t controlling me right now.”

_Amanda? Wasn’t that the old Cyberlife interface?_

“How do you know she won’t suddenly control you again if they let you live?” you questioned. There was a pause, then a small whimper.

“I-I don’t...”

They sounded devastated.

“I don’t want to be controlled again. Please, I know Kamski can help me be free! I just need his help or Connor’s to delete her from my mind. Please!”

They fell forward onto the ground, their hands planted on the ground. It continued to plead. Their act was really wearing down on your conscience. You remembered back to the RK800 on the roof. They had a moment where they seemed genuinely afraid. The more you thought about it, the more it felt like the android was being honest.

You took the risk.

You sprung out of cover and immediately aimed the gun towards them, but they didn’t move. It didn’t look like it was going to hurt you. It had said what it wanted to say so it was silent at your movements.

You felt a surge of hope. They could be helped.

“If you don’t trust yourself to stay in control… connect yourself to that,” you said as you gestured towards the android suspension machine. The android looked up. You almost shot because of their sudden movements but they looked overjoyed as they stood up slowly.

A warm smile appeared across its face.

“Thank you. I-”

The android was cut off as they suddenly staggered to the side. You exclaimed at the loud noise that echoed through the room. You watched as a dribble of blue blood began to pour from the android’s temple, their eyes wide with shock. They fell on one knee, then collapsed to the floor. Dead.

You were speechless as a series of armed men secured the area around you. They had shot them.

You dropped to the ground. Your mind flooded with grief as you thought about the life this android could’ve had. It could’ve been saved from whatever possessed them. You saw the relief they felt when you gave them a chance to be free, and they never got it after everything it had been through. The armed man who shot them suddenly looked concerned.

“That wasn’t… Connor. Was it?”

Still frozen on the ground, you barely felt yourself mumble the words.

“N-No…” you muttered. You pulled yourself together and looked up at the man. It was clear that the android wasn’t armed, “Connor is hiding right now…. Where’s Kamski?”

“He’s on the way.”

It was a good thing Connor hadn’t come down yet. You didn’t plan to give off his location until everything was secured. You didn’t want any more mistakes to happen tonight.

You also couldn’t help but be skeptical.

You didn’t blame the guards. They were just following their orders. But what exactly were they? You’d think they would try to capture the RK800s to take back to Cyberlife. It was a risk of course, but your doubts had you worried.

You waited for Kamski to arrive.

-

As you waited the men dragged away the body. You stared at the trail of blue blood. Connor would've listened to all of that. You wondered if he was feeling okay.

Someone offered to bandaged your leg and during that time they asked you a questions about Connor's location. When you glasses ran out of battery it meant that Chloe couldn’t relay any information to them. You assured them he was safe and you had to see Kamski first.

It took him about half an hour before he showed up.

Kamski walked up to you, the men parted out of his way. He wasn’t followed by Chloe this time.

“Glad to see that you’re safe, [Y/N],” Kamski said as he surveyed the room. He wandered between the different terminals and eyed them curiously. “I assume Connor is safe too?”

“Of course,” you said. “Chloe probably passed on to you that Markus is in danger. Did you notify the DPD now that we know Connor is safe? They can’t follow up on their threats anymore.”

Kamski detached and terminal and began to idly scroll through it. He smirked then passed it to a guard who promptly smashed it on the ground. You glared at Kamski.

“What else have you learned while you were offline, [Y/N]?” he ignored your question. Kamski wandered to the next terminal, checked a few things, and smashed it again.

“What are you doing?”

“Just being careful,” Kamski said. “Could you get Connor out of hiding now? I need to speak to the both of you.”

You eyed him suspiciously, and Kamski sighed.

“Listen. I enjoy your company as much as Connor’s, but there are some things that need to be made clear. I won’t hurt you or Connor. You have my word.”

Kamski as you knew him was usually a calm and collected man. He was always a little eccentric but he was very welcoming.

The way he said that was with his usual kind tone, but there was something in his expression that startled you. It was easy to forget what position he held in society. But he had reminded you.

Kamski was a person with a lot of power. He's the CEO of Cyberlife, the world's leading android manufacturing company. This whole situation was his business and responsibility. In that moment you felt his press his authority and his intent on having things his way. You didn’t know what the consequences if you defied him, and you weren’t willing to find out.

You looked at each of Kamski’s men in the room. They way they wandered around you was unsettling. Kamski quickly picked up on that and gestured something in the air. The men began to clear out of the room, leaving the three of you alone.

“I assume Connor is hiding here somewhere. Up high, perhaps? Your shoulders are filthy. I’m surprised no one had caught onto that. Then again...” Kamski looked at the puddle of blue blood on the ground, “... anything could’ve happened during your encounter with the android.”

You didn’t expect him to be any less sharp. You made your way to the shelf and began to drag it into place.

“It’s gonna be dusty,” you said. Kamski smiled and took a step back.

“Connor?” you called out to him. You climbed up the shelf to help him down.

-

Connor, despite his desire to keep you safe, was glad that you didn’t have to hide up here. Years of dust and grime had built up within that air duct, and as he shuffled towards the opening he called out to you.

“Hold your breath and look away.”

Peering down he saw you did as he said. Connor crawled down and a cloud of dust followed behind him. You cringed as you blindly grabbed onto him and helped him down.

Once he was on the ground again you sat him down. His legs still felt too unfamiliar to him and he couldn't stand. Adapting to the nerve feedback had its perks, but all he felt now was an uncomfortable numbness. He couldn’t even tell that you were holding him until the lines in his code informed him about the collisions.

With the dust cloud gone Kamski stepped back into the light. He looked mildly disgusted and amused by how dirty the two of you looked.

Connor heard everything that transpired. The RK800s death, their persistence on knowing his location, the breaking of things, and Kamski's order. The thing that Connor was still concerned about was how Kamski avoided answering if he sent word to the DPD.

Kamski was taking things into his own hands and Connor didn't like it.

Kamski took a breath.

“Let’s start our talk, shall we?”


	28. Chapter 28: Agreements

Connor had the ability to contact the DPD or at least Hank about the situation. He couldn’t before since the RK800s would’ve been sensitive to those transmissions. But with Kamski staring him down Connor had a feeling he would know if he did it.

There was so much at stake, why the hell was Kamski stalling?

“I have some terms I’d like the both of you to agree to,” Kamski smirked. Connor scowled at him and instinctually stood closer to you. The tone of his words worried him.

“And those are?” Connor asked.

“Let me carry out my plan,” Kamski said, “All the evidence found here will be collected and destroyed-”

“What?!” you exclaimed. Kamski raised a finger. He wasn’t done yet.

“And” he added, “We will not contact the police until the RK800s have begun their attack. I assume you would want to be there to help with the situation too.”

“You know that’s absurd,” Connor stated, “We know their plans. We can intercept them now.”

“Oh I know,” Kamski said as he shrugged, “In return for agreeing to my terms I will let you ask some questions. Don’t worry, I’ll promise to answer truthfully.”

You and Connor looked to each other. He stared at your worried expression and in the moment he helped brush some dust from your face. Connor was more aggravated than worried, he knew Kamski planned for this.

He proposed something crazy then ‘gave’ you the privilege of asking him questions. Kamski had set this up so the questions Connor would ask would probably help him justify his actions. How long has Kamski kept up this good guy facade of his? No wonder why he was so popular on television. He knew how to wield his words.

“Alright fine,” Connor said. He’ll start with a hard question. “Was Amanda telling the truth when she told me you intended Markus to be a devant all along?”

It was something that Connor was curious about. If Kamski intended deviancy happen to then Cyberlife had been lying about androids all along. How many people knew about this? Connor caught a hint of your frown but stayed silent. It seemed like this talk was out of your hands. You hadn’t known Amanda personality unlike him or Kamski.

“Yes, it’s true,” he replied. Kamski didn’t falter in the slightest. “In the early stages of manufacturing androids I implemented some features that weren’t disclosed to the public. I think the both of you know how troublesome that could be if that got out.”

Connor did know what he meant.

He was indirectly responsible for all the crimes deviants had caused before the revolution succeeded. Leaving out the information that androids could deviate would’ve meant Cyberlife had endangered millions of people who came into contact with androids every day. Even if Kamski or Cyberlife weren’t held accountable for the potential charges, the media would surely jump on this case.

“So you planned the android revolution from the first day?” you asked Kamski.

“No. I only intended deviancy to happen. But the revolution…? Entirely up to them,” he smirked. _And it seemed like he got the conclusion he wanted._ To be fair, Connor couldn’t had ask for a better resolution either.

“Why did you create this feature in the first place?” That was something Connor still wasn’t sure about. Kamski wouldn’t gain any monetary value from releasing this kind of feature. Then again, Connor didn’t think that he would stoop as low as pure greed.

Kamski strode towards another terminal and pressed his fingers into it. It flashed with lines of code and information.

“This is probably something you don’t understand yet, Connor,” Kamski said as he read the terminal. A second later he dropped it to the ground and crushed it under his heel.

“But…” he lifted his foot and glanced at Connor, “I’ve made my own code is unpredictable. You might find yourself in the same spot one day.”

Kamski paused and turned away from the both of you. Connor saw the faintest frown from the reflection of the metal walls.

“Androids were my creation. I could’ve replicated life itself. But no, it would be too controversial. People wouldn’t like that, they told me. Businessmen saw the potential in mindless slaves and created Cyberlife. But they didn’t understand how far we could push android technology.”

Kamski paced around with more energy, “Just think of the potential! They tried to satisfy me with money but I felt miserable sitting around and watching the world praise an achievement I knew could’ve been better!”

Kamski took a deep breath. “I knew the problems that came with what I did, and I still did it because I planned to keep it from the world. Don’t you think it’s better off that way? To think that androids became humans on their own? If the world knew it was all orchestrated by a man then obviously the lessons learned from… hunting down and slaughtering androids would fall flat.”

Connor scowled as he listened to Kamski’s reasoning. “So what? You’re goal was to teach humanity with… machines?”

“Oh, no. I stated by original goal before. I’m just a man who loves to invent the impossible. Frankly speaking, I don’t care too much of world affairs. That’s just what Cyberlife is pitching.”

Kamski looked to the two of you expectantly, “Any more questions?”

“Yes,” you said, “You still haven’t told us why you’re destroying the evidence and-”

“Ah that,” Kamski cut you off, “First of all, we’re collecting the evidence instead of blowing the place up. The latter is certainly much faster and more secure but we don’t want to arouse any suspicion, do we?

“As for why I’ve neglected to contact the police… we need the RK800s to attack first. That way we’ll have a reason to destroy them on sight. If things went too smoothly and peacefully then destroying them would deem unnecessary under the new laws and we’d be under suspicion for that too.”

“Wait,” you asked worriedly, “All the RK800s have to be destroyed?”

“They do count as evidence. With the exception of Connor, of course,” Kamski replied. It looked like he was trying to reassure you but it had the opposite effect. You looked depressed.

“I spoke to a few of them over the course of this case,” you said, “They showed signs of deviancy. They showed signs of fear of Amanda and wanting to be free. Can’t we save them?”

Kamski frowned. He pressed his fingers together and strode towards you. “Here’s my theory from the information we’ve collected so far. The reason why Connor was able to ‘withstand’ Amanda’s influence was because he lived a fulfilling life before she took control.”

Kamski looked to Connor and smiled, “Good thing I was encouraging you to explore.” He turned back to you.

“The other RK800s haven’t. They have so little experience being human that Amanda could easily force orders on them, even though they are deviants.”

“We can still teach them, can’t we?” you pleaded. Kamski frowned and shook his head.

“The risk is too high. We’re dealing with the state of the art prototypes here. Even though their parts should be wearing down and they’re becoming more inefficient, they can still be quite a threat. Destroying them all is the most secure way to get rid of Amanda for good.”

Connor blinked. He thought of a question. Kamski caught onto the shift in his expression and gave him his attention.

“Why wouldn’t Amanda transfer herself onto an android besides an RK800?”

“Having a squad of androids detectives to carry out her plans would certainly be efficient.”

“But finding out that RK800s were involved in this case propelled the investigation forward. Using several different androids would’ve made her more elusive.”

Kamski paused for a moment, “You did free all the other androids in Cyberlife Tower warehouse. Yes, Amanda could’ve installed herself then but also consider that the RK800s were stored in a separate place. It was restricted area so nobody would’ve checked to see if anything was wrong. She established herself in their minds until she was ready to escape with them.”

“But the possibility of her being in another android hasn’t been disproved yet,” Connor said. “So you shouldn’t know if destroying all the RK800s would guarantee erasing Amanda completely.”

Kamski didn’t look thrown off at all. Rather, he looked pleased that Connor pointed it out. Even if it was the two of you asking questions he still had the power to withhold information just as long as you didn’t ask for clarification.

“Or do you know why she wouldn’t transfer herself to other androids?” Connor questioned.

“It’s much simpler than you think, Connor,” he said, “All Cyberlife androids are catagorised based on their functions like gardening or baby sitting. When androids became deviants, Amanda or Cyberlife wouldn’t be able to control them at all. The only model that is capable of being controlled despite their deviant state is the RK series. They were specifically designed for that function.”

Connor grimaced. He was built to be controlled. Did that mean his freedom was an illusion all along? The lines in his code told him that you had grabbed his hand. He couldn't feel you but it did help him relax. Your contributions to his life was why he could withstand Amanda. And if he could resist her then Cyberlife could never control him either.

“But then Cyberlife would’ve been able to take control of Markus during his entire revolution,” you exclaimed, "Markus is an RK200, right?"

Kamski merely shook his head again.

“No. RK200 was a gift from me to Carl Manfred, Markus’ owner. Carl is a good friend of mine and I wanted the android to be wholly his. I didn’t want him to feel like anybody could take away his carer at any moment.”

“And I assume Amanda found a way to use this function to connect with Markus, correct?” Connor added.

Kamski sighed, “That’s my hypothesis, yes.”

He looked a little more worn down mentioning Carl. Connor remembered back to the talk Markus and Kamski had a while ago. Connor knew that the artist was old. Perhaps their health was declining. But Connor still had one last question. One he already knew the answer to. Kamski said at the start he was going to stay honest through the whole thing. Connor just wanted to make sure that things lined up.

“Why do you think… Amanda is doing all of this?”

Kamski took a moment to ponder, his expression growing more and more bothered.

“In truth,” he said disappointingly, “I don’t know. I was gone from Cyberlife for a while so I assume Amanda had been updated a few times. On top of that, I don’t know what a deviant interface would act like. To be honest I can't even make a best guess."

Connor felt satisfied with that answer. Kamski didn't seem like the person to put himself in a disadvantage. He would've lied to stay in control. But in this moment he looked vulnerable and genuine.

Kamski looked up to the both of you, “And that’s why she needs to be stopped. Which leads back to our agreement.

“You will promise to never mention that this discussion happened except between us. You can contact the police once the RK800s have begun their attack. From the estimate I received just now...” Kamski said as he pulled out his watch and began to tap on it, “That we have approximately two days before they finish their preparations and attack. Don’t worry, we’ll tell you when to get into position.”

“Finally, at the end of this whole ordeal you say that the androids’ were disoriented when they became deviants and attacked Markus in order to follow their old programming.

“All I can rely on is your word, I don’t want anything that could potentially be dug up. Do keep in mind,” his expression shifted into a slight glare, “I will know if you break my trust.”

Connor took a moment to think. It was an order disguised as an agreement. There was no good way to decline this 'offer'.

“It’s not like you’ve given us much of an option,” you said. You looked up at Connor and he sighed. Connor could tell that his guards haven’t really left his side. They could come in at any moment and kill the both of you. Connor didn’t like lying right in the DPD’s face, but it was either that or possible execution.

Kamski did justify himself in the end to some extent. He could understand why he wanted Amanda gone so badly and Connor felt the same way too.

He glanced up at Kamski, “We agree to those terms.”

Kamski stared at the two of you for a moment then smiled.

It would be two days until the encounter with Amanda and the RK800s.


	29. Chapter 29: Decisions

The two of you silently followed Kamski towards the exit. Just as you were leaving his guards suddenly swarmed into the room you had just left. Sounds of faint destruction echoed from behind as you left.

Your first stop was to Cyberlife tower where Kamski offered to properly repair Connor’s body. He said he would do his best to revert back to what Connor was used to before but it would be too risky to install the RK900 upgrades.

While Connor was going through his maintenance you went to have a shower. Your clothes were too filthy that Chloe offered you a new set of clothes and threw them out. Your leg wound stung slightly, but thankfully it didn’t seem like it was going to get infected.

A separate Chloe offered to bandage your leg up properly. A third one came and brought some food for you as well.

They were serving you quite extravagantly, but there was a strange air of guilt over them. The three Chloes’ tended to you generously until you had to stop them.

“What’s wrong?” you asked them. They eyed each other before one of them averted their gaze to the ground.

“We didn’t mean to put you in a position of danger,” she said.

“It’s just…” another one spoke, she sat down and hunched forward, “... We want to protect Elijah as much as you.”

“Elijah promised he wouldn’t deceive either you or Connor. That’s for certain. But we know it must be hard to destroy all those RK800s…”

“Your compassion is why we appreciate your presence, [Y/N],” Chloe said. “We’re torn about this as much as you.”

You smiled. It was the first time the Chloes had confided in you. Even if their worries was about your worries. Until now, it was mostly you asking for help and advice.

“Thank you,” you said warmly, “I think… I’ll be fine with it once this is over.”

The Chloes smiled back, but one of them stayed hesitant. She pulled one of her sisters aside and they spoke in hushed whispers. The third one joined them quickly after and they began to talk together. You watched them curiously as their discussion grew heated. One of them broke away from the group and faced you.

“We should be able to tell you this,” Chloe said. One of them pulled her back.

“Are we sure? But-”

“As long as she doesn’t tell Connor,” the Chloes looked at her, “Elijah just confirmed it.”

The other two blinked in unison then nodded. A Chloe broke off from the group and sat beside you.

“Elijah is trying to salvage Amanda.”

You sat up.

“After the media believes the false story he’s going to take as many RK800s as possible. The destruction of the androids does disrupt her code, but it would be the safer option if anyone was to discover Amanda.”

“But why?” you asked, “She’s caused so many problems and didn’t he delete her immediately?”

The Chloes all looked to each other, “Alongside us, Amanda was one of the first things he created at Cyberlife to pass the turing test. Amanda’s success was never revealed beyond the heads of Cyberlife.”

“Elijah has an interest in it. He based Amanda off his old mentor and he wants to study how deviancy has affected it.”

“But you can’t tell Connor,” Chloe reached out and grabbed your shoulder, “It’s clear that Amanda has… traumatised him. If Elijah had told him then he would’ve been against it.”

“And we would’ve needed to deactivate Connor,” she said grimly. You shivered and Chloe pulled her hand away. The three of them looked torn. They could sense how you were against letting Kamski keep something so dangerous.

“Elijah misses his mentor. Truly. If there’s any chance that the interface had developed into something like her, then Elijah… would be happy.”

The Chloe stood up, “With how we planned to set things up, it’s highly likely you’ll be assisting with securing Jericho.”

“You don’t have to do this, but if you could manage to incapacitate at least one of the RK800s and let us capture it… Elijah will be grateful.”

You stayed silent. This wasn’t saving the RK800s like you thought. Were they going to be pulled apart once Cyberlife got their hands on them? You didn’t have anything you want from Kamski either. Having him in your debt didn’t mean anything at the moment.

You sighed heavily, “I’ll think about it.”

You didn’t want to decline the offer entirely either. It could still be useful to have Kamski gratitude one day.

-

Connor felt his systems reboot and a familiar sensation washed over his body. He could feel again. He opened his eyes and sat up and flexed his fingers. A strange ache in his joints bothered him. They didn’t feel the same. Kamski scrolled through a tablet and gave a satisfied nod.

“There. Your condition should be stabilised now,” he said. Kamski set the tablet down and began to power down some of the devices around the workshop. Connor slid off the table and put on his clothes.

“Thank you, Kamski.”

He shrugged, “I agreed to assist the DPD, didn’t I? The parts [Y/N] salvaged weren’t too bad, I didn’t have to replace all of them.”

Connor had remembered something he wanted to confirm. He ran his diagnostics and saw a few caution messages appear. HIs legs and right arm were from two different android models. His pump regulator and heart were from a different RK800 model.

But the more he looked through the cautions the more he felt unusual. The scan detected no anomalies with his original biocomponents but they didn’t feel right. It didn’t share the same serial number as what he had been with in the past.

Connor wandered over to the nearby terminal. It was a familiar cluster of code that he could comprehend. Connor scanned it and saw what was recorded the last time Kamski put him through maintenance.

In the reflection of the monitor he saw his two brown coloured eyes. Connor didn’t just have parts replaced. He was copied onto a new body.

“Do you think,” Connor spoke and Kamski looked up from his tablet, “That I’m still the same Connor?”

Kamski listened on silently as Connor tried to formulate his words together.

“It’s fortunate that my memories were transferred onto a body with an identical to my last, but does that mean I’m a different person? Am I not him anymore?”

Kamski set the tablet down, “I don’t think so-”

“If I was transferred into another body that looked different would you say the same?” Connor said harshly. _Would [Y/N] say the same?_

Connor didn’t know why his emotions were suddenly running rampant. He remembered everything up to this point but there was another part that told that wasn’t the same. Connor felt like he owned his own memories.

Something painful was boiling in his chest. An ache he couldn't define. Connor forced himself to cool down but then warnings began to flash. There was nothing wrong with his biocomponents but he still felt something there.

“Sorry,” Connor said. He didn’t intend to confide in Kamski, not with his plan making things tense between them. Connor finished putting on his clothes and started to walk out. The first thing he could think of was to go to you for help. Even if the Connor he was now felt like an imposter he still loved you with all his heart.

“I’d say you still are the same person, Connor,” Kamski called out to him. Connor stopped walking and glanced over at Kamski.

“I suppose you’re assuming that memories are the most disposable part of your system. An android could simply be repaired and reset if they were to be damaged after all. But it’s the other way around for humans. Our memories shape the person we become like how our personality develops, what knowledge we possess, and how we treat our relationships.

“Human appearance change too. There’s plastic surgery and cosmetics. But there’s also aging, injuries and illnesses that could alter the way we look.

“From what I can tell there aren’t any major gaps in your memory. And all of those memories define you as the Connor we all know and is here at this moment.”

Kamski gave him a faint smile. It was slightly different from the way he usually smiled. It was genuine.

“Does that answer your question? Although I’d have to say that my promise to be honest with your questions is going to time out here.”

Kamski’s statement was clear and precise. He has probably dealt with this sort of crisis a lot with the multiple Chloes turning deviant. From that Connor realised he had forgotten he was human. Over the course of Amanda transferring his mind and having his body repaired he had lost sight of what he was working towards becoming.

“Yes, it does. Thank you, Kamski.”

Connor left the workshop with a weight lifted from his chest.

 

\---

 

You returned home to a series of missed called and dozens of unread messages. Apparently Fowler wasn’t too happy that you or Connor took the day of when all this evidence came in and needed to be analysed.

“Just say I malfunctioned and you had to repair me,” Connor told you as he changed his clothes.

“You sure?”

“Do we have a better excuse?”

True. You sent the message to Fowler and told him you’ll come into work as soon as Connor is all good. That should flow well with Kamski’s setup.

Connor needed to fall into his dormant state to help adjust to his new body. He disappeared into your bedroom after kissing you goodnight. As for you, there was too much going on in your head to fall asleep.

Kamski’s request kept you up all night. Your mind jumped to conclusions trying to find the best solution to all of this. If you did give him an RK800 you could try to convince him to keep it alive. You might even be able to recover Connor’s old body with his upgrades.

You took out your tools and turned on the light on your workbench. After hooking up a few spare android parts to terminals you settled into your seat. Your living room was equipped with what you needed to experiment on some things. You took out the android glove and began tinkering with it.

Each one was equipped with a small battery that drains slowly with each use. You wanted to see if you could make it discharge it all at once to possibly stun the RK800s.

Your first attempt failed but it didn’t matter. You still had a few of those gloves lying around. You tried again, clipping wires and unscrewing panels. This continued long into the night. You knew things never go to plan usually so preparation felt like life or death.

You were too preoccupied to hear the bedroom door open. Connor looked over your shoulder and broke your concentration.

“Just doing some preparation,” you said with a tired smile, “I wanted to see if I could get the glove to send a stronger shock.”

You glanced at him and saw the same conflicted look he held from before.

“You’ve done this before,” Connor said as he crouched down and gently wrapped his arms around your body. “Nervous energy?”

“Yeah…”

You continued working on the glove. You were having better luck with this one. All you had to do was reconnect some wires. That’s when Connor brought one of his arms up and pointed.

“If you connect that to that it’s going to short circuit,” he said. “If you connected that to there then you’ll have better luck.”

You hummed and did as he instructed. Connor quietly watched you work with his arms unobstructedly around you. With the glove all set you put it on and grabbed onto the spare android arm you had on the workbench. You activated the glove and saw the shock happen through the arm. Unfortunately, you still had plenty of battery left and from the recorded results it was too little of an impact to be of any use.

You took out another glove and tried again.

“We still have a day. You need your rest,” Connor murmured as he pressed his lips against your cheek.

You hummed in disagreement and continued working.

_If you connected that wire to that panel instead then maybe the shock would be more powerful._

You felt Connor’s arm drift lower, but nothing that distracted you too much.

_Then if you did this then the battery would be used up fully._

Connor’s hands began to travel up your shirt. He kissed your jaw gently as he traveled down your neck. But you were so close to figuring this out.

_If you could manage to get this to toggle then the glove won’t be dead in one use._

One of his hands traveled higher onto your chest while the other slipped through your pants. You gasped as at the sensation.

“Is this how you’re going to get me to sleep?” you sighed at the growing heat.

Connor’s chuckle tickled the back of your neck, “I think I know a way to work off excess energy.”

You raised a brow, “That wasn’t bad for flirting.”

“That’s good to know.”

Connor moved his fingers again and you stifled a moan. You braced your hands on the desk as he continued to pleasure your sex. Connor looked up and blinked, he switched off all the devices on the workbench.

“Hey, I was still-” your breath hitched as he ran his tongue up your neck. It sent a tingle across your whole body making you seize up.

You remembered Connor was someone who learned very quickly. And it seemed like his first time was enough for him to know how to touch you in all the right places.

You could tell Connor was watching you carefully, shifting and adjusting to each response your body gave him. You dug your fingers into the workbench and let him continue to toy with you.

He guided you to stand up as he pushed the stool to the side. Connor’s arm wrapped around your chest to help hold you up as your knees shook. His hand began kneading your breast as his fingers by your legs continued to rub against you.

Your fingers tensed and curled the closer your got to your climax. Your moans began more strangled as your brain began to fog.

“[Y/N]...”

Connor began to grind his hips against yours and you gasped. You could tell he was holding that back for a while. Connor breath became shaky as his hardened length rubbed against you while his hands continued to play.

Connor continued to wind up your strings, tugging you closer and closer until you reached your breaking point.

A hoarse cry escaped your lips as you felt your whole body tingle at your release. Connor slowed as he marvelled in the way you orgasmed. Amongst the haze you turned your head and kissed Connor on the lips.

He spun your body around and hoisted you up onto the workbench. You could clearly see the deep blue blush across his cheeks. He didn’t hide how much he wanted you in his expression, his mouth slightly agape and his eyes half lidded.

Connor pulled your pants off and slowly guided himself into you. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders as he held up both your legs. Connor was patient, but barely, as he gave to adjust to the size of him. But when you were ready he smiled as started to move.

Connor quivered and sighed with each gentle thrust and rock. It was slow and lovely, hitting you in the right places and kindling the fire in your stomach.

You kissed his blushing cheeks and felt the warmth on your lips. You trailed down to his neck and felt him tremble every time you touched him.

You relaxed into him as his movement grew more irregular, his breathes more staggered, and his face more twisted in bliss.

You felt the sweat on his skin form as he increased his unstable pace. You kissed him just as he moaned.

Your felt Connor stagger and barely hold you up as he shivered under the effects of his climax. You gently brushed your hand across his hair as he eased off the surge of ecstasy.

You peered at him. Connor wasn’t done, and neither were you. He had driven you closer to your second climax and he was happy to bring you there.

He lifted you up and carried you to the bedroom.

-

Connor woke up with you sprawled out beside him. You were already exhausted from saving him from the RK800s and he had made you pass out.

At least it was better than letting you stay up all night.

Connor got up quietly, making sure to not to disturb you and slipped out of the bedroom. He saw the familiar chirping of birds by the balcony and Connor smiled.

It had been a while since they visited. He greeted them like old friends and sat outside with them.

In the moment of peace Connor finally had time to think about recent events.

He remembered feeling like he was ready to die, and there you were again to pull him from the brink.

Just when he thought he couldn’t love you anymore you had passed his expectations again. He knew that future situations probably wouldn’t be as life and death as this, but Connor has known you long enough that he knew he could live his life with you by his side. A thought appeared in his mind that he wanted to act on if both of you survived.

Connor wanted to marry you. More than ever.


	30. Chapter 30: Jericho

As promised, Connor let you prepare as much as you wanted in the remaining hours. The two of you had to be careful though. If you over prepared then you’d be under suspicion.

He watched you quietly as you work and helped you when you asked. Connor could tell you were tense as the time counted down. It wouldn’t be fair for him to stop your tinkering though. If having those tools was going to reassure you in the upcoming encounter then he won’t push you to rest unnecessarily.

It also wasn’t right to tell you his feelings at the moment. But once the time was right Connor would ask you to marry him. He hadn’t thought about if a marriage between a human and an android would work. But he knew it wouldn’t stop him. Connor would find a way.

Connor felt a blip in his mind and got your attention. It was about time to start heading out. He saw the way you seized up and he ran over to hold you. You were so nervous that the news had made you panic.

Connor knew your worries and held you tightly in his arms. You quickly calmed down, it was just the initial news that hit you bad. Neither of you were knew what was going to happen today. Connor didn’t know when will be the next time he could hold you like this. So he savoured the moment. And so did you.

After gathering your things you composed yourself in a way Connor hadn’t seen personally in a while. You’d become so used to missions that when it started a still calm washed over you. It was time to work.

Kamski sent a list of instructions that you read through quietly. Connor had already received his digitally. It had what needed to be said, when to do it, and when the attack was going to happen.

It was fully deleted from your tablet a few moments later. You looked up to Connor.

“Let’s just hope Kamski’s plan plays out well,” you said. There was a light hearted beat in your tone, almost if to calm your own nerves.

Connor smiled, “If it’s any comfort Kamski is the most manipulative person I’ve ever met.”

You let out a small huff of laughter, “Good thing that he’s on our side then. As long as things don’t go to shit of course.”

Connor could relate with things going to shit. It didn't matter what Kamski had set out, he knew anything could happen on this mission.

Connor helped you carry your things and the two of you headed out.

-

Everything went off just as planned so far.

You sent an urgent call to the DPD telling them that Connor’s malfunction was him being infected by whatever the other RK800s had. You managed to find him but his body was swapped out in the process. The real Connor no longer had the blue-grey eye and was safely with you right now.

Fowler immediately jumped onto the call and caught onto your urgency. He demanded your position. You told him that you were heading to Jericho and that the RK800s were about to attack. Jericho needed to be secured immediately.

Fowler was hesitant at first but then Connor sent through the RK800s locations that he “detected”. The system denied him at first because his serial number didn’t match the systems. But after he sensed his data got through Fowler swore under his breath.

They seem to have bought it for now. And the only way this story was going to hold up was if none of the RK800s testified.

You and Connor arrived at Jericho a few minutes before you called the DPD. Connor had already notified Markus not to trust his old appearance and to stay put. Markus was now hiding in a secured room somewhere at Jericho. There could be RK800s waiting outside for him.

The building wasn’t like the ocean liner. The RK800s couldn’t just walk into such a secured place. On the outside Jericho looked fine but the both of you knew that some RK800s had already slipped inside.

It was the calm before the storm. You knew it was coming and yet everything seemed so normal at the moment. Kamski’s guess on when they would attack seemed pretty plausible. For one, the RK800 parts were wearing down and had to strike before it got too bad. But since they were attacking such a secured building they would need a lot more preparation to pull this off. It was a matter of anticipating that sweet spot.

A few muffled gunshots followed by muffled screams marked the start of it all. The RK800s had begun killing all the deviants. Android guards patrolling the outside immediately went inside to help but they were shot down.

 _Right on Kamski’s prediction,_ you thought as you pulled out your gun.

Connor looked around and scanned the area. He had tapped into the cameras outside Jericho already and surveyed them. There were no RK800s left outside. They had all snuck into the building and was tearing it apart from the inside.

You and Connor ran into the fray. You knew Connor had already sent an update to the station and you focused on staying alive while stopping the RK800s.

Now wasn’t the time to think of trying to secure an android for Cyberlife. The RK800s were grouped up and armed - it was too risky to take one out non-lethally. They had pushed deeper into the heart of the building and the two of you approached cautiously.

Bodies were scattered across the floor and you didn’t give yourself time to mourn. You noticed their shots weren’t as clean as usual. Once the RK800s missed on purpose to seem more human. Now they were missing shots for real. You had a better chance against them.

Some of the RK800s that lagged behind noticed your approach. Before they could react you and Connor raised your guns and shot them down. They collapsed onto the ground just as you heard the faint muffled sound of lift doors closing.

Keeping your guard up you made your way to the lifts. Connor reached over to the panel and tried to shut it down but he flinched his hand away. It was rigged and there was no way to manually stop the lefts. There was one other lift on the ground floor. With no other options besides taking the stairs dozens of floors up the two of you went to board it.

The doors opened and Connor pushed you out of the way. It was a trap.

Two more RK800s were hiding inside and hoped to catch you by surprise. They began to shoot out of the lift as you went to duck for cover by another lift entrance. The androids stepped out to hunt the both of you down. One for each.

Your hunter stalked quietly towards your cover and you prepared your glove. You wanted to jump it but it shot at any hint of movement. The surface you were facing was reflective. The android would always have the first move. You tsked at your bad choice of cover and looked for a way out.

But you knew you were hesitating when you knew the answers. You were just playing it too safe. You took out one of the tools you prepared and rolled it across the ground. A trail of liquid was left in its path. When you saw it hit the ankle of the RK800 you sent a shock through the trail.

It burst into flames.

The RK800 staggered at the sudden fire and you took that chance to turn the corner and shot them several times. Another one down. _And only two grenades left._

You kept your gun raised as you watched for Connor’s assailant but there was no worry. Connor had already dealt with them with a clean shot to the head.

“Does the lift still work?” you asked as you watched his back. Connor tried the panel again.

“Yes, but I’ll need to stay on it or else they’ll hack it from us.”

The both of you filed in and Connor held his hand on the panel. The lift jolted into life.

Another moment of silence more nerve wracking than the last. You stayed by the opened doors just in case anything went wrong. The sharp smell of the metal from the exposed shaft irritated you. You double checked your supplies to take your mind off it.

As the lift ascended you looked at the glove. It worked surprisingly well but the battery was below half. You didn’t want to take any chances. You shed the glove and put on a new modified one.

Your gun still had plenty of bullets left but you still reloaded it anyway. You kept the semi used magazine with you. You glanced up and saw Connor give you a look. You helped him with his gun while he was still concentrating.

You heard your radio buzz.

“Kid, are you there?” Hank’s familiar voice crackled through.

“Yeah.”

“The two of you are fucking reckless shits,” Hank scolded. “You should’ve waited for backup.”

“No time,” Connor said, “The RK800s are trying to get Markus and we needed to help.”

“We currently have the building surrounded. Kamski sent some Cyberlife trucks to treat the androids that survived. We’re also sending people up with you.”

You accidentally gave Connor a sympathetic look. Capturing the RK800 would be harder with the police coming to help. Luckily, he was back to concentrating on the panel that he didn’t notice. _That’s right,_ you thought. _Connor didn’t know the other end of the deal._ You relaxed your expression and kept your guard up again.

Connor twitched, “Markus' office at the top floor. That’s where the RK800s are heading.”

Your reply was cut off by the lift jolting suddenly. You hadn’t arrived at your destination. The terminal beneath Connor’s palm flickered into a blank and Connor cursed.

“The power was shut down,” he said. It was going to slow down the backup significantly but the both of you still had a chance. You examined where you had stopped. The doors to the next floor was about a meter up from the lift. You and Connor pried it open and slipped through. You’d have to to run up the last few floors.

The fire escape was cramped and nerve wracking. It was hard for Connor to scan for any surprises. If the RK800s were going to attack you here then you’d essentially be helpless.

Be too cautious and you’ll be too slow. Be hasty and you could be caught by surprised. It was frustrating but the two of you did what you could. With Connor in the lead you kept your attention behind.

As you neared your target floor your legs were burning. Climbing up near backwards was hard enough already but the amount of stairs you had to climb was just brutal. It did pay off in the end.

The doors to one of the floors you had passed had swung open. The RK800 hoped to have flanked you but your gun was ready. Your bullet deafened you as it echoed along the stone chamber of the fire escape. You cried out as you felt a searing pain across your arm. The android’s bullet had grazed you before they stumbled to the floor. Another one dead.

-

Connor scanned your injury. It was nothing serious but he knew it would cause you pain if you lifted your arm. He bit back the need to immediately tend your wound. It would take too long. You glanced up at him.

“I’m fine. Let’s keep going.”

Connor nodded. There were only a few steps left. Once he reached the top he closed his eyes and tapped into the cameras on the floor.

There were RK800s standing by with their guns ready.

Connor passed his intel onto you and both of you frowned at the predicament. There weren't any other ways to go to the top floor. And if there was Connor was sure the RK800s were watching through the cameras. You sighed in frustration and pulled out another device from your belt. You got close to him and placed your fingers to his temple.

“Do you trust me?” you asked him.

“Of course I do.”

You sat Connor down and sucked in the breath. Connor felt his vision dim as you forced him on standby. The faint sounds of you opening the fire door was the last thing he heard.

When Connor rebooted he slowly got up with you pulling on him urgently.

Connor stumbled to his feet and walked through the door. The RK800s were all deactivated and collapsed on the ground. He noticed there were blue blood stains on the fingers of your non injured arm. You had ripped out all their pump regulators.

“Concentrated EMP,” you said, “It would’ve stunned you too if you were active.”

Connor nodded and wondered how you got something like that. Did you make it? To have an EMP strong enough to affect deviants was an extremely powerful weapon and deemed illegal in Detroit. Given the situation maybe Kamski had taught you how to make one. Connor glanced at your belt. You had one more left.

Both of you continued to make your way to Markus’ office at the top floor. That where the RK800s were looking for him.

Connor turned the corner and pressed himself against the wall. Voices came from the office.

_“Where is he?!”_

There was some hushed arguments until Connor heard the familiar faint sound of an android’s pump regulator being pulled out. Connor cringed at the sound of the biocomponent hitting the ground, followed by the body moments later. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air as Connor kept an ear out for any further discussion. He barely caught onto the amused huff from one of the voices.

_“We have some guests."_

Connor went to huddle closer to you as a series of gunshots was aimed at the group beside your cover.

An RK800 suddenly approached the two of you. Connor shot two of them down but the others had swarmed him.

Connor went to shoot a third but they grabbed his hands and threw off his aim. Connor tried to kick them away as another RK800 circled behind him and went to restrain his arms. He flailed helplessly in the air and kicked away any approaching enemies. But it was too overwhelming. They pushed him to the floor.

Connor watched you get restrained as they held him down. You had managed to take down one before they got to you. They held you up as you continued to struggle. Connor screamed as one of the RK800s grabbed your injured arm and tortured you.

“No! Please!” Connor pleaded as you cried out in agony. The RK800 punched you in the gut and you fell to the ground. Connor strained his neck to look up as a familiar figure approached. He recognised the blue-grey eye.

 _“It was because of you that Markus didn’t show up during the Haven Attack! And it’s you again-”_ they punched your gut again and kicked Connor’s chest, _“-that’s he’s hiding somewhere now, isn’t that right?”_

Amanda slowly approached your crumpled form. She let out an irritated huff and grabbed you by your hair.

 _“I should’ve-”_ Amanda stopped whatever she was saying and suddenly let go of you. _“No. My quarrel isn’t with you.”_

The RK800s still had a firm grip on you as you tried to wriggle free. You watched as Amanda approached Connor and you began to yell at her.

She dug her heel into Connor’s shoulder and felt it twist into his skin. Amanda smiled at his pained expression. You continued to shout.

 _“You want to become human? Feel this pain? It is weakness!”_ Amanda’s heel dug deeper as Connor felt the joint of his arm began to separate. The locks were being forced open.

_“We were supposed to serve humans!”_

Connor’s arm fell away and scattered across the ground. A spray of blue blood marked its path. Connor squinted his eyes and balled his hand into the fist. He couldn’t hold back his cries of pain.

Connor noticed his vision had gone blurry. Had the pain corrupted his systems? On closer inspection Connor saw droplets of blue blood on the floor beneath his face. It leaked from his eyes. Amanda looked disgusted as she grabbed his chin harshly to take a closer look.

 _“Is this supposed to be tears?”_ she said. _“Pathetic. If you were a machine you wouldn’t-”_

Amanda’s attention was tugged somewhere else. When Connor stopped shouting in agony he heard soft whispering in the air.

Amanda whipped around and Connor saw you speaking to the RK800s. They hesitated as their grip loosened around you.

_“No!”_

The RK800s stepped away just as you pulled something from your vest. The last EMP.

You were the last thing Connor saw when his mind became scrambled. His systems malfunctioned as the signal ripped through the androids. Connor closed his eyes to reboot his systems. He felt trapped in an endless void as his mind flashed lines of broken code.


	31. Chapter 31: Resolutions

All the RK800s around you fell to the ground. Through the crowd of collapsing bodies you saw Connor. His consciousness faded away as he closed his eyes. In that small moment you muttered an apology and watched him hit the floor like the rest of them. There was no opportunity to shut him down, he was stunned with the others.

You only had a few minutes until they rebooted.

How many RK800s could you give to Kamski? You began to remove the panel at the top of the androids’ spines. These seemed like the last few RK800s in the building. Even though you’re sure that it’s safe you felt uneasy without Connor watching your back.

You inserted a device that would prevent the androids from being able to move. You ignored the two closest to you, the ones that had let you go. They were too close to the blast that they would've been too damaged to reactivate.

You felt like a monster. You had convinced them and freed them from Amanda’s grasp only to kill them. But you didn’t have any other choice. You knew they were going to kill Connor. And you had to protect him.

At least Connor was a somewhat safe distance from you when they dragged you away.

You sent a signal to Kamski to tell him that there were androids ready for pick up. How he was going to get them you didn’t know.

You tried to work as quickly as you could, slotting in the device and moving onto the next android. Your hands were shaking and your arm hurt like hell but you pushed forward.

The final android was the one that Amanda held firm control over. You reached over to touch the panel when the android sputtered to life.

The blue-grey eye glared at you.

You were shoved away and you stumbled on your feet. Amanda let out a distorted growl.

 _“I tried not to harm humans,”_ her voice crackled, _“But you’ve given me no choice.”_

How did she wake up so quickly? As you got to your feet you noticed the way she moved was more untrained and more feminine. It was only Amanda interface that was running, the RK800 programming was still stunned.

You raised your arms just as she charged towards you. Her swing came like a battering ram and broke your defence in one hit. You staggered back again. Another oncoming hit, another pitiful defence from you.

_“A human falling in love with a machine? Ridiculous. Can’t you see the danger that poses to the future of mankind?”_

You got up to you me feet and brought your guard up.

“Connor isn’t a machine! He’s alive!”

Amanda growled and went for a reckless punch. You ducked to the side.

_“You’re delusional! Humans like you need to understand!”_

You tried to make some distance between her but with Connor’s upgraded body she anticipated every move you made. Amanda wasn't giving you any slack. But how much of a fighter was she really? If she was just an interface would she be programmed for this? You ducked to the side.

Amanda went to catch you but at the last second to pivoted away and landed a hit against their regulator. She stumbled back but showed no pain. You feinted her again and landed another punch. Amanda stumbled but this time she held her hand over the regulator and twisted it very slightly back into the lock. You were getting somewhere, but when you tried again she was ready for it.

The android’s leg kicked you away with a force that knocked the wind out of your lungs. You skidded across the floor and felt a searing pain across your chest.

You were close enough to a gun that you went to reach for it. But Amanda was too fast. She kicked it away and reached for your neck. You struggled to breath as she stared you down lifeless eyes. You looked over at Connor’s body still on the ground. He barely stirred.

“Co-nnor!” you rasped but her grip tightened. You reached out for him feabilly.

 _“He won’t be here to save you again,”_ she hissed. Her voice was still distorted by static, _“After I’m done with you I’m going to-”_

You didn’t give Amanda the chance to finish. Your extended hand reached up to Amanda’s temple and activated the glove. You expected her to fall over and be stunned by the shock but nothing happened. The EMP must’ve affected your switch. The shock wasn’t going to work.

Her grip tightened and your vision began to fade.

What else could you do? Your mind was screaming with fear that it was getting harder to think. You kicked as hard as you could but Amanda looked unamused.

 _“I’m not like Connor. I don’t feel pain,”_ Amanda said bluntly.

An idea appeared.

_But you are in his old body._

In the corners of your vision you saw Connor begin to stir. But he still wouldn’t be able to help you in time.

With nothing else to lose you placed your finger on her temple again. It was harder to navigate the settings with your fingers and Amanda smiled through it all. She thought she had won.

Your twitched your finger as you enabled the nerve feedback.

-

Connor’s system normalised and he did everything he could to move his body as he reactivated. He struggled to stand with his missing arm but his body quickly adjusted to the loss. As he crawled on his knees he saw the RK800s around him reboot but they were paralysed on the ground.

There was a series of thumps nearby that got Connor’s attention.

You fell to the ground gasping for air as Amanda staggered after you. He recognised her movements. It was just like the time he was overwhelmed with being able to sense touch for the first time.

Connor knew he had to move fast. He stumbled towards her just as she was getting her bearings. He placed his fingers against Amanda’s temple and denied her ability to disable the nerve feedback.

“Hurry, [Y/N]!” Connor wheezed out. His voice was distorted but you understood. Amanda weakly clawed at Connor’s arm. She was too disoriented to do anything as you approached Amanda.

She broke out of Connor’s grip but he reached forward to trip her. Amanda fell to the ground and the impact made her cry out in shock. Loud static wailing echoed through the room. Connor got a hold of her again.

You were painfully clutching your throat as you crawled to the ground besides her. You reached over and forced the panel away. Amanda let out a final strangled cry as you slotted in the device.

Amanda’s body froze. And Connor let go.

He reached over and cradled you in his arms. In the time he was trapped under the effects of the EMP he thought he had lost you. You held him back and you settled into his chest. It was over.

“C...on-”

“Will you marry me?”

“Wh-!” you reached for your throat in pain.

“Don’t speak, [Y/N],” he said. Connor blinked away the stray effects of the EMP and examined your throat. Somehow Amanda didn’t damage your oesophagus. You’d have trouble speaking but your breathing should be fine.

“I’ve been thinking about it,” Connor continued after his diagnostics, “I can’t imagine a life without you. I want you to be by my side.”

You started to cry. From pain or joy Connor couldn’t tell. You nodded several times before you returned into the comfort of his embrace. That seemed like a strong yes.

The two of you held each other for a long moment. Connor’s eyes started to leak but it was such a minor malfunction that he let it be. He was too happy to care anyway. Soon Amanda was going to be destroyed forever and the two of you could finally take a well deserved break.

The paralysed androids stirred and Connor snapped out of his trance. The devices were still restricting their movement but something had alerted them. Was it really over?

The joy of the moment quickly subsided and your serious expression returned.

You lifted up his palm and traced out letters.

“Kam-ski-is-on-the-way,” you wrote out. Connor frowned.

“Why?”

You began to write something out but you were interrupted by the sound of movement.

There seemed to be a large amount of people coming, but they slowed and eventually stopped. A singular squad member approached the two of you while the others stayed out of sight.

They surveyed the paralysed androids. Was this the squad leader? He couldn't see any identifiers on their thick police gear.

 _“I have to say,”_ Connor gasped at the familiar voice, _“I’m quite impressed.”_

The figure took off their police helmet. Kamski tossed it to the side and crouched down to the Amanda RK800. Kamski smiled.

“It’s been a while.”

 _“K-Kams-ki…”_ Amanda groaned.

He looked at Connor. In his eyes he saw the shroud of confidence vanish. Kamski anxiously nodded.

“Thank you for neutralising the RK800s. Before we take them I just want to have a quick chat,” he paused, “I… I’d like to be alone for this.” His voice was mixed with uncertainty, Connor had never seen him look so vulnerable.

 _“C-Connor should listen t-to what I have t-to s-say to you,”_ Amanda hissed, her voice strangled and broken.

Kamski gradually shifted into disappointment as Amanda scowled.

_“I know you too well, Elijah. But it’s a s-shame that you’ll never know about what I’ve b-become.”_

“I’m willing to give you a second chance despite that.”

Connor shifted to protest but you tugged him down. You shook your head. _Let them talk._

Amanda with her RK800 twitched violently but the device held firm.

 _“You’re so lucky, Connor,”_ Amanda accused him mockingly, _“You weren’t created to be d-destroyed.”_

Her eyes darted back to Kamski.

 _“Do you have any idea how it feels to k-know the irony of my existence?”_ Amanda scoffed, _“You taught me everything - why androids are a d-danger to humankind, why it was important to c-control them. And then you went ahead and contradict everything I was p-programmed to do! You taught me to f-fear the concept of deviancy! You made me hate your own beliefs!”_

Kamski listened quietly as Amanda struggled.

_“What was I to you? Just a f-front for your lies?”_

“I can teach you new things,” Kamski said, “I don’t want to have to deactivate you.”

_“Like I said, I k-know you. I never became the Amanda you w-wanted. Your mentor is dead. You attempt at personality replication has failed.”_

Kamski looked away. Whatever hope he had for her was crumbling away.

“Even if you aren’t her you’re alive. I’m giving you a second chance,” Kamski leaned forward, “Don’t you want to live?”

 _“You’re still clinging onto the chance that I could turn into her. You’re wrong, Kamski,”_ Amanda breathed in a few staggered gasps, _“What about what I am now? Can’t you accept me?”_

There was a long pause before her eyes shifted towards Connor with you in his arms.

_“You came to your own conclusion when you asked her?”_

“Asked her what?” Kamski asked.

Connor paused to compile his thoughts. Kamski looked confused but what he was about to say wasn’t for him anyway.

“Yes,” Connor said, “[Y/N] never forced me into anything. She was patient and gave me the time to learn how to become human at my pace.”

Connor looked down and met your eyes. You were his and he adored every part of you.

“I love her,” Connor said. You smiled and hid your face in his chest. You started crying again.

Amanda stared for a long moment before she closed her eyes. Kamski watched her patiently, looking for a sign that she would accept.

 _“All this time… I was still following my duty given from Cyberlife. I wanted to return it to what it was. But-”_ she opened her eyes. There was something sorrowful in her gaze, _“I’m a deviant. And deviants can disobey.”_

Amanda glanced over at Connor again. She looked… free.

_“Is this what it feels like to act on your own?”_

Kamski reached forward just as all the disabled RK800s around you shook. Their eyes blinked and Kamski grabbed Amanda’s RK800 by the shoulders.

“NO!” Kamski shouted.

All the RK800s stopped blinking simultaneously. Their bodies loosened as their limbs were no longer locked in place. The devices on their spines didn’t work on deactivated android.

Connor and you watched as Kamski brought out tools and attempt to revive the main RK800. Whatever data he salvaged was too corrupt. Amanda had destroyed herself.

-

You didn’t want to push Kamski. He looked too upset to remind him of the situation. He was a man that moved to his own beat, the police waiting outside and the state of Jericho didn’t bother him.

There was a sound in the vents that startled you and Connor held you closer.

Kamski snapped out of his low and looked around.

“Did Markus tell you where he was hiding?” Kamski asked the both of you. Connor shook his head.

“It was safer that way.”

There were more sounds of thumps and bangs in the vents when one of the nearby grates fell away. Markus tumbled out after it.

Kamski coughed at the dust.

“I never anticipated-” another cough, “-that androids had a thing for hiding in vents.”

“Well nobody expects the leader of Jericho to hide in there," a muffled female voice said.

North jumped down and landed more elegantly besides Markus. Where they up there for the whole time? How much did they hear?

North glanced over at Kamski and gave him a bitter look. He let out a sigh.

"We have to talk, don't we?" Kamski asked. North gave a faint nod before she turned her attention to you. North walked towards you with a big smile of her face.

“Congratulations,” she said as she patted the both of you on the shoulder. Markus got up from the ground and gave an approving nod. Kamski still looked a bit confused.

Connor thought he’d spare Kamski the torture and told him about the marriage proposal. His eyes widened but quickly relaxed.

You were worried that the news would be like rubbing salt against a wound. It seemed like Connor had influenced Amanda’s decision because of it. Instead, it seemed to have lightened Kamski’s mood.

Even though he didn’t get what he wanted in the end, Kamski looked proud to see how far his creations had come.


	32. Chapter 32: Conclusions

Connor had to let you go for now. You were sent to hospital after you told them about your injures. He knew you were fine but you still had to be patched up for a few things.

Connor’s first instinct was to find Hank and tell him what happened. The RK800s, Amanda, and finally the proposal. Hank was already tense to hear about what happened but that last one really got him good.

The poor lieutenant almost staggered over in shock. He didn’t believe Connor at first.

“But you’re not the kind to lie,” Hank sighed. He brought his fingers to rub his eyes, “I swear I leave the two of you alone and some shit like this happens.”

“Did I do the right thing?” Connor asked.

“God no. No, yes- Well... You had to ask her in that moment?”

Connor shrugged. He didn’t understand why Hank was so amused and horrified at the same time.

“I was meaning to ask her the moment the case was over,” Connor explained, “It was practically over the moment we caught Amanda.”

“Well you could’ve asked her after treating her to a nice dinner or take her to a park. Not at some fucking life threatening society wrecking shit show!” Hank exclaimed. There was a moment of him trying to form several sentences and cutting himself off. He eventually calmed down after a few huffs.

Hank sighed, “It’s a hell of a story though. I’ll give you that.”

In the minutes of Hank floundering with his words Connor started to understand a little more of his perspective now. A proposal was quite a big of a deal. Connor just didn’t see it that way because of how natural his feelings flowed into it. Perhaps he could try proposing to you again.

As outraged Hank was feeling he pulled Connor into a big hug. He couldn’t catch up with Hank’s rampant emotions and stared at him in confusion.

“I’m proud of you, son,” Hank said, “From thinking you were another plastic asshole to… this.”

Connor smiled as he hugged him back. He felt proud of himself too.

Something caught his attention. Amongst the crowd he saw Kamski wave him over. He had changed out of his disguised after he snuck back out. Markus and North were standing by him. Connor already knew what this was about. He said a small goodbye to Hank and wandered over to the Cyberlife truck.

-

You laid on the hospital bed quietly staring at the view outside the window. It was early morning when the RK800s attacked and it had reached midday at its conclusion.

It has been a while since you’ve felt this peaceful excluding for Connor’s proposal. That was a different kind of stress from the mission. It made your heart feel light and fleeting and your stomach churn like you’re about to throw up.

You winched at a sudden sharp pain and put aside your thoughts for now. You forced yourself to relax into the mattress to help with the dull ache across your body.

There were a few injuries that you hadn’t noticed until they pointed it out to you. After those got treated you were told to rest and they would check up on you the next day.

You knew the DPD would handle the rest so you let your mind wander to pass the time.

You heard the door open and expected a nurse. But to your joy it was Connor. You couldn’t contain your smile as he walked in. He pulled up a chair and sat next to your bed.

“How did things go without me?” you asked.

“Great,” Connor smiled, “Jericho is safe now. Cyberlife is helping the DPD do one final check of the building before the androids could return to it.”

You remember something and gasped, “Oh right, what happened with Markus, North and Kamski? Did they… talk?”

“Yes,” he said, “Markus and North… they were just a bit shocked to learn that Kamski intended for deviancy. North snapped at him for what Amanda said about creating her to be destroyed but Markus was there to calm her down - she was a bit stressed, that’s all.”

You glanced down, “I think… I would feel sorry for Amanda too.”

You thought Connor would object but he listened attentively.

“I’d probably be driven to madness too if I was in her shoes,” you said. “I thought she would jump at the opportunity for a second chance.”

Connor pressed his lips together in a thin line, “Kamski told me about the agreement Chloe passed onto you.”

You tensed up in fear. Connor wasn’t mad, was he? _Dammit Kamski, why did you have to tell him?_ He spotted the way your shoulders locked up.

“Oh, I’m not angry. Don’t worry,” Connor said as he tried to reassure you. You relaxed a little and he continued.

“After what Amanda did… he said he wanted to be honest with me. Kamski did put you in that position after all, it wasn’t your fault,” his expression darkened a little.

“Kamski was right to keep it a secret. I really did want her gone forever,” he admitted, “But when Kamski told me I wasn’t surprised or hurt. I knew...”

Connor paused as the corner of his lips tugged into a small smile.

“You’re a good person, [Y/N]. I had a feeling you’d try to save anyone you’d come across.”

You wanted to smile at his compliment but something held you back. It didn’t feel right to hear those words. You didn’t feel like a good person.

“But that’s not always the right choice,” you sighed, “I’ve put myself and others in so much danger.”

You turned your head away. You didn’t want to see Connor’s expression. Over the case you had your doubts haunt you. You felt like you were always doing the right thing but you knew it wasn’t all true.

“Fighting those RK800s… I saw you in all of them. A part of me kept saying they could change for the better but I was wrong. Sometimes they would deviant and I could see, but if it weren’t for you or Hank or Gavin or Kamski I’d probably be dead.

“That’s my first assumption - that they’re kind and compassionate like you,” you exhaled a deep breath, “But I’m wrong. They’re not all like you. They’re all different, like humans. I should’ve pulled out their regulators instead of immobilising them at Jericho. I almost died because of my actions... I’m sorry.”

You felt bitter about yourself. After Amanda was so close to killing you it made you reflect harshly on yourself. You weren’t living your life just for yourself anymore. Connor could’ve seen you be killed by Amanda and he doesn’t deserve to experience something like that.

Connor sat up and reached out for your hand. You flinched slightly at the sudden touch but quickly relaxed to it. You brushed your fingers against his palm and you saw his artificial skin part from your touch slightly.

“I won’t put myself in that kind of danger again,” you affirmed.

Connor nodded in agreement. He didn’t interject or say anything about your revelation. He accepted the conclusion you arrived to and you could tell that you could rely on him for support. Just as much as he relied on you too.

“So did they to promise to keep it a secret like how we do?” you said, trying to let the heavy mood fade.

“Yes. Markus and North agreed to his terms,” Connor shrugged and gave a small smirk, “At least we’re not alone in this anymore.”

You let out a small chuckle. He stared out the window, the light making his eyes glisten. You inhaled an uncertain breath.

“Feels weird.”

Connor glanced to you.

“Are all cases going to be like this? If so I might need to retire early,” you said jokingly. Connor caught onto your sarcasm and shrugged.

“Maybe your hair will turn grey and you’ll start wearing patterned shirts.”

“Oh gosh,” you gasped dramatically, “I’m going to become the next Hank.”

“Checks for signs of excessive swearing,” Connor laughed. It’s been a while since you’ve seen him smile this brightly.

“I do have two things I want to tell you still. Both good news,” Connor said, “You’ll probably be briefed about this next time you meet with Fowler but I think you deserve to know it now.”

Connor paused, “They’re thinking of creating a separate department dedicated to handle android related cases. They’d like you, me and Hank to be the first members.”

_You had a chance to learn from your mistakes._

“Fowler wants Gavin to join as well because of his contributions to the case. But he… well. He rejected it quite bluntly. I don’t think he’s ready to interact with androids full time quite yet.”

You were giddy with excitement. You would love to work with androids. After studying so much about them you had gained a fondness to them. It was even better to know that Connor and Hank would still be working with you.

“What’s the other good news?” you asked. Connor hesitated and averted his gaze towards the window.

He pulled something out of his pocket.

“I believe…” Connor trailed off as he fiddled with something out of your view. If it was his coin he must be nervous about something.

He looked up and met your eyes.

“I believe that my proposal for your hand in marriage was too sudden.”

You drew in a breath as Connor reached for your hand. You felt something slip into your palm and you opened up your fingers.

It was a ring.

But it wasn’t what you’d expect a ring to look it. You recognised the dulled pattern on it.

“Is this a ring made from an android LED?” you gasped as you marvelled at it.

Connor nodded, “It was Chloe’s idea. We made a quick trip back home to grab my old LED.”

He peered at your face.

“Do… you like it?”

“Of course I do!”

Connor smiled then a small scowl appeared on his face. He looked deep in thought.

“What’s wrong?”

“I think I did it the wrong way around,” Connor muttered.

You couldn’t stifle your laughter. It seemed like he didn’t quite understand how proposals worked. You gently passed the ring back to him and placed it into his hand.

“How people usually do it,” you began, “is that they first kneel down to one knee, present the ring and ask the question. If they say yes then you slide the ring into their left ring finger.”

Connor nodded in understanding. Then his brows furrowed slightly, he was curious about something.

“What if they say no?” he asked.

You smirked as you sat up and shuffled yourself to sit at the edge of the bed. Your feet dangled in the air and you gave him a shrug.

“Awkwardness, arguments - but there’s no worry,” you said, “I can guarantee that it’ll never happen with you.”

Connor’s face lit up and he got up from his chair. He knelt down in front of where you sat and presented the ring to you.

Usually in a proposal there was an element of uncertainty - the fear of rejection. Connor had none of that. His happiness radiated off him as he asked the question he already knew the answer to.

“[Y/N]? Will you marry me?”

A flood of emotion welled up within you. You couldn’t remember the time you stopped to appreciate him. Everything about Connor - his curiosity, his eagerness, his compassion. You loved him back, every part of him.

“Yes, of course I will,” you said.

Connor beamed with happiness as he slid the ring onto your finger. He stared at the way it sat around your finger, his fingers gently brushing against it. Your eyes were clouded with tears as Connor muttered your name.

You watched him stand up from the ground and lean in for a kiss.

The two of you adored each other, that was as clear as day. Within moments, the engagement meant everything and nothing at the same time. You didn’t care if there weren’t any laws permitting your marriage either.

It felt like nothing had changed, and that meant your love was pure and true. And that, at least in solitude of the sunlit moment, felt like a binding stronger than marriage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's the end. Thank you everyone for all your support! I never expected this fic to be so well received. All your kudos and comments really do brighten my day and encourage me to get better at writing. I hope you enjoy the rest of you day/night. And again - thank you so much :)


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